


The Hokkaido Incident

by KatlnnRotato



Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: Angst and Feels, Canon-Typical Violence, Demons, Future Fic, Love Confessions, M/M, Partial Mind Control, Plot Before Romance, Post-Canon, Power of Words, time changes things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 12:33:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 46,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25849597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatlnnRotato/pseuds/KatlnnRotato
Summary: Four years have passed since Satan was defeated. Everyone has since gone their separate paths to pursue their own dreams. Yukio arrives back at True Cross and is given a mission to defeat a potentially high level demon in Otaru, Hokkaido.Meanwhile, Lewin and Bon come back to Japan to quickly deal with a demon before stopping by the Order. But the demon they're dealing with is more abnormal than they think and it turns out the two cases are more connected than they thought.And along with all that, why is Shima-who's been missing for years now-in Otaru?
Relationships: Lewin Light/Suguro "Bon" Ryuuji, Okumura Yukio/Shima Renzou
Comments: 14
Kudos: 45





	1. Welcome to Hokkaido

**Author's Note:**

> For this story, I'm assuming Satan is exorcised sometime during or after the current Illuminati arc.
> 
> There's a lot of Hokkaido geography involved and I've never been there myself, sadly, so forgive any errors I make along the way. I also doubt any of our cast really know Hokkaido all that well so don't mind the fact that they all just happen to know every place there is in Hokkaido.
> 
> Any demons mentioned will be given a brief summary at the end of the chapter.

Yukio walked into the Faust mansion, being escorted by Mephisto's butler, Belial, into his unusually quirky looking home. Nothing much had changed since Yukio was there last, it seemed. They reached the double doors to his office and Belial opened them for Yukio in some grand entrance.

Mephisto waited at his desk for him."Mr. Okumura, long time no see! Why, don't you look like a proper adult now!"

Yukio's brows instantly pinched together and his distaste grew. It was a perfectly reasonable thing for Mephisto to say, but his voice just tended to trigger every bad emotion in his body.

"It's been around four years now," Yukio responded."I'm not that old yet. I still have room to grow."

"Certainly..." Mephisto grinned."I heard you passed the Aria exam, congrats! Now all you have left is Knight and you'll have mastered everything."

"Is that all you had to talk about?" Yukio asked back, eyes narrowing. It was true that was the only class he had left. Was Mephisto still watching him and his brother?

"No, no, of course not." Mephisto waved his hand back and forth."Of course the great Okumura Yukio wouldn't have time to catch up with little ol' me. You're always running around on missions, so I thought that while you're free I would snag you to do something for me."

"Why would I want to do anything for you?" Yukio snapped back.

"Ah, you misunderstand. This is a mission."

"A mission?"

"Yes." Mephisto leaned forward in his chair, now gaining Yukio's full attention."I want you to go to Hokkaido to exorcise a potentially high level demon."

Yukio's eyes widened."I haven't heard of any high level demons in Hokkaido. Did it appear recently?

"I'm not sure, exactly. It seems to have traveled down from Wakkanai. The exorcists there have been on it's trail for quite some time, but you know how bad it can get their in the winter time. Plus, they're only Mid Level. An agent at the Sapporo office caught wind of it and said it's been residing somewhere along the coast of Otaru for awhile now, scaring people off. I'll let you make the call, but it sounds like it's on some kind of mission and who knows what will happen if it completes it."

"Alright, I'll go," Yukio responded. He had no ties to any particular place at this point. Otaru was a long ways away, all the way up north in Hokkaido, but Yukio tended to travel all around Japan now so it was nothing to him. Running away to the seaside didn't sound that bad.

"Great! That's great!" Mephisto cheered.

Yukio grimaced at his cheerfulness."I hope you know better than to be planning anything. I'm done playing around in the palm of your hand."

Mephisto laughed."Don't worry. You'll have plenty more to worry about while there than me scheming."

Yukio didn't like the sound of that.  
  


* * *

  
  
"Ah, so cold."

After traversing humid rainforests for a month, of course Bon would be freezing. It seemed he and Lewin were just going from one extreme to another and it was throwing his whole body out of loop.

"Weren't you just saying you would rather be in the snow than the heat?" Lewin responded with his typical smirk."Now's the time to enjoy a snowy winter in Hokkaido."

"I guess..." Bon looked off towards one of the windows pointing towards the airstrips and onwards. He hurried his face further into his scarf."It does feel good to be back in Japan. But I thought we were going back to the main branch? Why take an airplane all the way to Hokkaido?"

"I needed some time to sleep."

Bon sighed. That meant his master was thinking more so than usual. Ever since he had gotten mail from someone from the Knights of True Cross, he had been tense and mumbling away. Bon learned that when he got like this, all he needed was to sleep, process, and solve whatever problem was running through his head.

He hadn't figured out his masters Machiavellian word and he assumed he didn't want to tell him, but Bon was certain that it had some part in these episodes of his. It probably had to do with research and finding answers because he couldn't settle down until he had everything figured out.

To explain it simply, Machiavellian words were like soul words. Yet they only seemed to harm people and manipulate them. They were cunning, scheming, and were everyones weakness.

"Did you get enough sleep?" Bon asked.

"Ah!" Lewin jumped."We should've gotten a picture next to Doraemon! How could I forget?! Where's Doraemon?!"

"We could go back in if you want, Master."

Lewin huffed a breath of air."No, it's fine. We need to catch the train and head to Tomakomai."

"Tomakomai?" Bon questioned, trying vaguely to remember where that was."Why are we going there?"

"There's been sightings of a mid level Baba Yaga that supposedly came down from the nearby mountain that's been causing trouble," Lewin explained, grabbing one of his bags as Bon took the brute of all the others.

They began walking down towards the airports station. Bon's face was grim."Has it...killed anyone?"

"Yup, which is why we're here."

Bon's breath hitched. It wasn't anything he hadn't heard or seen while he was working under Lightning, but it still pained him every time.

"Based off the report I read, there were two exorcists previously assigned to this case," Lewin started."They had identified the Baba Yaga as a low level demon, as it only seemed to be causing some trouble in town, and intended to exorcise it but in the process they lost their lives. The strange thing is that the Baba Yaga only killed and ate them but is still leaving the other citizens alive."

"Like it's only hostile towards exorcists?" Bon questioned.

"That's a possibility, but Baba Yaga shouldn't be intelligent enough to make out a difference. It's like it recognized the exorcists as a threat and took them out before they could it."

"Could such an abnormality happen?"

"The longer they stay in the mountains, the more hostile they get," Lewin responded."We don't know how long this Baba Yaga has been in the mountains or what kind of demon possessed it. If it's a newly possessed, then there's a slim chance it could still be holding onto some intelligence."

Bon could tell Lewin was still unsure."But that's not enough to make it act out like this, is it?"

They made it down to the station, various people sitting on benches or standing waiting for their train. Bon found the train to Tomakomai and set their stuff down as they waited.

"No." Lewin did the same with his one bag."At most, the last bits of their humanity can stop them from eating others or enable them to talk in fragments. What this Baba Yaga is doing goes beyond that."

"The exorcists might have classified it wrong," Bon said."Headquarters must've sent some Middle 2nd Class or Lower 1st to deal with it. I wouldn't be too surprised if they just followed the report and didn't consider it some other kind of demon."

"When did you grow up and get so smart, Ryuji!" Lewin complimented him. Bon was always caught off guard at the few times Lewin praised him and grew flustered."I was thinking the same thing. It looks like we'll just have to search for it and find out ourselves. How exciting!"

Bon nodded.

"For now, I'm hungry!" Lewin declared."Let's get some burgers once we reach Tomakomai."

"Shouldn't we eat some seafood?" Bon questioned, tired of Lewin always wanting burgers."Tomakomai is a port city, right? I bet they have some good fish markets."

"You can eat all the fish you want, Bon, but I'm having burgers and shakes! Do you know how long it's been since I've had a burger?"

They had been in deep inside the forests of South America for a couple weeks, so Bon had heard plenty of complaining. He thought it would all stop once Lewin got a burger during their connecting flight, but it seemed he wasn't satisfied.

Bon sighed."I get it. I'll look for a place in Tomakomai."

Bon feared soon his diet would also only consist of burgers. Some of Lewin's bad habits were really beginning to rub off on him.

"Yay!" Lewin cheered."My wife is so caring!"

"Again with that..." It seemed Bon had upgraded(?) from mom to wife status at some point during his time with his master. Bon wasn't sure why Lewin had the change of heart but he liked it better than mom which made him seem old. Now, it was like they stood on equal ground.

The train they were supposed to get on pulled into the station.

"Master, it's here. Let's go," Bon said.

"Right." Lewin grinned."Let's go eat so much our stomachs get bloated!"

"Please don't," Bon mumbled as Lewin happily trudged forward.  
  


* * *

  
  
Bon and Lewin headed into town after getting off in Tomakomai. Lewin had enough burgers for two people and then took even more with him as they traveled to their next destination. The plan was to investigate the homes near the local mountain, Mt. Tarumae, and keep a look out for any signs of the Baba Yaga.

Bon booked them a room upon Lewin's words and they settled down for a short rest and some prep before heading out to find the Baba Yaga. While Bon unpacked his things, Lewin finished off the rest of his burgers.

"I wonder if they have any hot springs around here..." he mumbled off, lounging back on one hand.

"Have you finally decided to take a bath without me having to drag you?" Bon looked over at Lewin.

"No way. Baths are a pain." Lewin threw his finished burger wrapper towards the empty bag but missed."I'm just thinking my overworked assistant may want to take some time to relax while we're here!"

Bon moved over and put his wrapper in the trash where Lewin intended for it to go."I'm fine, but if you say you want to go, I'll come with."

"So eager to see me naked? You're making me blush!"

"I'm not—!" Bon looked at Lewin, saw the cheeky smirk on his face, and promptly gave up with a sigh."Anyways, we should get going before night hits. If it really isn't a Baba Yaga, I want to at least see it coming."

"We have a couple hours until the sun sets." Lewin looked out the window."And if my theory is correct, the demon should've already sensed us the moment we arrived here. An hour of through prep will do us better than rushing in blind with an unknown opponent already knowing our location."

"Right."

Bon pulled out his bazooka and other trajectory weapons he used as a Dragoon. His bazooka was always best, since it worked well while chanting, but he couldn't always lug it around so he had some smaller weapons and a few other tricks up his sleeve as an Aria.

"You're always lugging that thing around," Lewin noted, staring at the bazooka."Not that it doesn't suit you."

"I built up my body to be able to use it, so I want to use it to it's full potential," Bon explained.

"Oh? So you're telling me you were a super scrawny kid at one point?!" Lewin sat up fully with a grin.

"Of course I was! What have you been thinking?"

"That you've been all macho since birth." The picture in Lewin's head was much to be imagined."You have to show me pictures of what you looked like! I want to see scrawny Ryuji!"

Bon sighed."I'll ask my mom for some photos next time I talk to her."

"Yes, please do! I want to know if you had a grumpy face, too!"

"What kind of image do you have of me?!"

Lewin just laughed, falling back on the tatami mats they were sitting on. He stared up at the ceiling, arms open wide with an unreadable expression. Bon huffed and went back to prepping for the demon exorcism.

"Suguro Ryuji, born August 20th, currently 20 years old," Lewin started, Bon pausing his work to look over at him."Brown hair, brown eyes, blood type B. Known by his friends as 'Bon'. Passed the Dragoon and Aria exams at 16 and now a Middle 1st Class exorcist soon to be promoted. Has been working as Lewin Lights assistant for the past four years...What else am I missing?"

"Um...Is this a profile on me?" Bon asked.

Lewin said nothing, thinking, so Bon assumed he was correct.

"Then maybe height and weight, family, gender, birthplace."

"Right, I got it," Lewin stated."Your Machiavellian word."

"My Machiavellian word?" Bon questioned, not sure if or why Lewin needed to know it. People didn't like to tell others freely because of the ways it could be used against them. The word manipulated them just like others could if they had it.

But, and Bon had thought of this before, he wouldn't mind telling Lewin his word. He was sure he had figured it out by now but it seemed he hadn't. Lewin had been his master for many years now so he knew him well enough that it wouldn't be a problem. Lewin wouldn't manipulate him, even with all the crazy things his done to manipulate others.

"All the pieces have fallen into place," Lewin declared, suddenly sitting up."They don't matter to me, but they're useful. Of course, I would rather you not tell me yours."

"Huh? Why?"

"Because I wouldn't do anything good if I had it." His smile was curled upwards in a way that told Bon he was serious. A shudder ran down his spine at the words.

Bon steeled himself."Alright, then I wont tell you. My word or my current sentence."

"Good." Lewin smiled back, this time happier."Then, let's hurry out and find this supposed Baba Yaga."

"Right."

Bon gathered his things and they were out the door.  
  


* * *

  
  
Bon and Lewin left the hotel and went up towards Mt. Tarumae where the two exorcists were killed. It always gave Bon an uneasy feeling, coming to places like this, but he knew it needed to be done if they were to avenge the fallen exorcists and kill the demon before it terrorized more people.

Lewin had always been perfectly composed, his lack of empathy for others serving to help him research things swiftly in a way no one ever could. And Bon followed him, followed this man without any goals and a purely demon-studying mind. This was who the strong hearted, passionate Bon followed. To this day, no one understood why.

"It should be right up here." Bon motioned up the road towards the rundown house at the top of the hill. There were other houses around as well as some people who hadn't given them a second look.

When Bon became an official exorcist, he was still in school, so he kept his school uniform on then. Once he graduated, he continued working with Lewin who never wore the uniform so he naturally didn't either. It felt weird, honestly, because he thought that would be his future, but things could change any instant.

"Everything should be cleaned up now," Lewin started, heading up the road with Bon."But if this really isn't a Baba Yaga, there should be some signs in the house of what demon's really causing all this trouble."

Bon noted Lewin's excited face and looked away."Yeah, but that also means we should stay alert. It could attack us at any time. It could be a High Level demon."

"You think?" Lewin grinned."Then all the more reason to make it think we're free for the taking."

And with that, they entered the rundown house. There was plenty of wood everywhere, making it look more like a storeroom than a home. It was old, incredibly old so much so that coal tars were bunching up all around.

Bon and Lewin put their scarfs up to their noses. Pulling out a canister of holy water, Bon sprayed the floor and some of the doorways as he entered through them because there were too many coal tars to go move around properly. It was like they were purposely trying to slow them down.

"Ryuji," Lewin called, and Bon turned to him. He nodded down at the floor and Bon noted the clear cuts made there from some kind of bladed weapon. Cleavers, knifes, and other short blades were characteristic of Baba Yaga.

There was a doorway ahead and Lewin began to follow the trail with more caution, Bon right behind him. He set the canister of holy water—which was already empty—aside and instead slowly began to slip his bazooka off his shoulder. It was too cramped and unstable of a space to use it but it was good defense.

The bazooka was fully off when Bon felt the air wafting behind him. Quickly turning around, a hunched figure with beady eyes took a swing at him, cleaver sharp in hand. Bon blocked it with his bazooka but was still pushed back by the force of the attack.

Lewin was already alert, side stepping so he and Bon didn't tumble together. He got in front of him once he hit the back wall.

"You okay?" he asked, staring down the menacing demon in front of them.

The demon had been waiting for them, that was clear enough to see. It had left the marks on the ground to lure them in and hid above the doorframe for a quick kill. If Bon had hesitated even slightly, it would've all been over.

"Yeah, I'm good..." Bon responded, a bit shook. He got himself up, body aching after the impact.

The demon which stood across them was slightly shadowed, but Bon and Lewin were both experienced with classifying demons and knew instantly what they were looking at. A hunched figure, long knitted hair, bloody clothes, the cleaver.

"So it's a Baba Yaga after all," Lewin said."How interesting."  
  


* * *

  
  
Yukio flew into Hokkaido and took the train to Sapporo from there to check in at True Cross's main Hokkaido Branch. The Sapporo office lacked the manpower it used to have, which didn't surprise Yukio too much.

Ever since the abolition of the Illuminati and the final defeat of Satan, the amount of exorcists all around the world had dropped an astounding rate. It wasn't because the exorcists had lost their reason to fight since Satan was gone, but because the number of demons inhabiting the planet dropped rapidly after his demise. As the King of Demons, the correlation was obvious.

Senior exorcists saw this as a time to retire and newer recruits felt there skills could be used elsewhere and sought out different jobs. Everyone had varying reasons and soon it became so that places outside the main Japan branch housed only around three to four exorcists. Some in the even smaller, less populated areas had only one exorcist routinely keeping the area in check. Yukio had no idea whether to consider this a good or a bad thing.

The Sapporo office, for instance, only had two people inside when Yukio arrived. They both didn't seem to be doing much either. It seemed all the work nowadays was being pushed onto the upper ranks.

"Hello," Yukio greeted them, gaining their attention."I'm Senior 1st Class, Okumura Yukio. I came here from Tokyo to investigate the demon in Otaru." Yukio pulled out his badge and showed them both.

"Oh, right." The one closer to Yukio sat up in his chair."True Cross did say they would be sending someone over. You got here fast."

"I want to take care of this quickly before it becomes a bigger problem," Yukio responded, not exactly thrilled by the attitude of these two exorcists."If you could give me any information on the demon you have, that would be helpful."

"Oh, that's all Tanaka's expertise," the female exorcist in the back explained."He's in Otaru right now checking it out."

"We haven't even seen the thing, so we wont be much help," the other finished.

God, they really pissed him off."Then do you know where in Otaru Tanaka is?"

"I think he said he would be investigating the coast today." The male exorcist looked to the female for confirmation.

She nodded."Yeah, the coast. Near the aquarium."

"Okay." Yukio nodded."If he comes back here without having met me, please tell him to contact me using this number." Yukio gave his number to one of them.

"If you need any supplies, there's a small office at the Otaru Station that you can access," the exorcist closer to Yukio said, pulling out a key and handing it to him."Use this on any of the doors there and it'll lead you right to it."

What, so they were useful."Thanks for all the help."

"Good luck on your mission!" the women shouted.

"Thanks," Yukio said again, heading out with his stuff to get back to the station. He had really hoped they would've given him a key that could just take him straight to Otaru. He was so tired and jet lagged at this point, he may not even search out this Tanaka until tomorrow.

He trudged back to the station he came from, hopping on the train and taking it all the way into the heart of Otaru. Since it was the middle of winter, snow fell elegantly along the sides of the train cars. Yukio had a nice view of the sea from where he was seated, too, so it all made out to be a tolerable trip, but Yukio knew the minute he got off that it was too late to meet Tanaka.

The sun had already been setting when he left the Sapporo office and now only a bit of its orange hue remained. He had left Tokyo later than he wanted because of Shura nagging at him for never bothering to catch up with her and was forced to catch a different flight into Hokkaido which was a whole mess on its own. There were some kids wailing during the flight which gave Yukio a headache and almost made him lose his train into Sapporo. Now he just wanted rest.

When Yukio got off the train, he began walking to the hotel he booked straight away. It wasn't far from the station, which was nice because Yukio didn't have to waste anymore money on transportation.

Thanks to Shura, he was staying at one of the inns overlooking the canal running through part of the city. Snowing and lit up late at night like this, it was a gorgeous sight.

"Too bad I'm not on a date," Yukio mumbled to himself, moving on.

Before he made it to the inn, however, he spotted some coal tars lurking near the cervices of a building a couple doors down. Yukio paused when he saw them, assessing the building and finding the sight increasingly more odd. The building looked lively and clean, not a place fungi-inhabiting coal tars would reside.

People happily walked in and out and Yukio noticed the people leaving had coal tars clinging to them as well. He made note of the building, deciding to investigate and perhaps clean it out tomorrow. Coal tars didn't harm and he doubted any Koks were inside given the amount of people going in and out. There would've been word of such a thing sooner.

So, Yukio continued to the inn a couple more buildings down and decided to go to bed early so he had an early start the next day. When Yukio entered the inn, he paused, in awe at the coal tars floating and attaching to the women at the counter. What the hell was going on here?

"Hello, are you checking in?" she asked him with a smile, completely oblivious to the coal tars slinking around her.

"Yes." Yukio would question her tomorrow. For now, it was time to rest.  
  


* * *

  
  
"Hmm?" A seductive purr let out behind him."What are you focusing on so intently outside, Kenji? Someone caught your interest?"

Shima let out a short chuckle, looking away from the street and towards the women casually seated next to him. The women's yukata fell around her like fine silk, exposing most of her body even in the cold night.

Shima forced his eyes on her face."You could say that. I'm just enjoying the snow."

"It is a beautiful night," she commented back, sharp eyes looking away from Shima."But it's cold, so hurry back inside and close the window. Some of the customers downstairs want to see my face so I need my faithful bodyguard to protect me from their leeching fingers."

"Of course." Shima grinned back like they shared some sort of inside joke, shutting the window behind him."If milady caught a cold, I wouldn't get the end of it."

"You're too good to me, Kenji," she purred back, slipping an arm through Shima's and pressing up against him."Perhaps we should go to my room after this."

"Just say the word."

She chuckled as breathless and soft sounding as all her words."Pervert."

Shima could do nothing but chuckle back.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Machiavellian words will be explained in the beginning note in the next chapter. I hope you enjoy the story!
> 
> Demons (as filed in the manga)
> 
> File 5: Coal Tar  
> Low Level  
> Kin of Astaroth, King of Rot. Possesses fungi. Gathers around dark, gloomy and unclean people, places, and things. Coal Tars are the lowest level of demon to that exists, but when a lot group up, they can be a real problem!  
> Anime/Manga - first appear at the beginning of the series when Rin begins to see demons
> 
> File 52: Koks  
> Mid to High Level  
> Kin of Astaroth, King of Rot. This demon possesses fungi and is an amalgamation of Coal Tars. A Koks composed of even the smallest low-level Coal Tars can be a formidable opponent.  
> Manga - mentioned in chapter 73 when Rin and Shiemi clean out a coal tar infested house
> 
> File 54: Baba Yaga  
> Low to Mid Level  
> A crone witch who becomes possessed by a demon due to living in the mountains for too long. They come down to villages to cause trouble and cannibalize human populations.  
> Manga - Vol 17, Father Fujimoto is sent on a mission to exorcise a Baba Yaga, who turns out to be Shura


	2. Mysterious Coal Tars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **: A Brief Summary of Machiavellian words :**
> 
> Some people also refer to these as soul words, yet the word you are given isn't shaped by you but rather the word shapes the kind of person you become. Your Machiavellian word is ingrained into your brain since birth so no one is aware of it except the you and anyone you decide to tell. The word is a subtle driving force which can influence people in times of weakness or confusion. 
> 
> To counteract possibly being influenced by their word and making bad decisions, people will form simple sentences out of their word which positively influence themself. Ex: word - believe; sentence - Believe in what you think is right.
> 
> Any further questions? Please comment below!

"Good morning," the women at the counter greeted Yukio.

It was the same one at the counter last night, Yukio noted by the coal tars still sticking to her. They weren't just floating around her anymore, but practically sucking against her skin like parasites.

She looked tired, too. Her voice when she spoke to Yukio was just barely oozing out pleasantry. Anyone could note her clear exhaustion.

"Good morning," Yukio greeted back, coming up to the counter.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" she asked, realizing he was coming up to her. She didn't look too happy about it either, probably cranky because of how tired she was.

"Yes, I was wondering if you could tell me how to get to the Otaru Aquarium from here?"

"Ah, the Otaru Aquarium?" The women dug in the shelves of the front desk, pulling out a pamphlet and setting it on the counter between them.

"A lot of people heading there?" Yukio questioned at her efficiency.

"Yeah, lots of tourists," she commented, then looking up at Yukio."Something tells me you're not here to look at the fishes."

"Was it obvious?" Yukio let out a small chuckle."I have business in Otaru."

"Really?" She looked curious which helped Yukio.

"Yes, I have some investigating to do." Yukio leaned forward, innocent smile on his face."Could you answer some of my questions while I'm here? It would really help me out."

"Sure, whatever you need." She smiled back at him, though the eye bags made it seem strained.

"Thank you," Yukio nodded."I was wondering if you know anything about that place a couple buildings down? The one with the red sign. It was crazy busy last night."

"Oh, you mean The Red Blossom?" the women asked, perking up slightly. She had definitely been there, Yukio deduced.

"Is that what it's called?" Yukio asked."I couldn't get a good look at the sign because it was so late."

"Oh, The Red Blossom's great! It's definitely the hottest spot in Otaru. If you want to have some nighttime fun, that's the place to go."

"So it's like a bar?"

"There are drinks, but that's not why people go," the women started, leaning closer to Yukio." _Entertainment_ , sir, some of the best singers and performers you've ever seen in your life, and the owner is a total beauty. It's such a good place to relax and enjoy yourself during these cold winter nights."

"I see..." Yukio noted."So you've gone in yourself."

"Oh, of course. I love to go to The Red Blossom. There's this guy there, Kenji, who's always—Good morning!"

"Good morning," the family greeting her back, passing through and out the front door.

"Anyways, I go there pretty frequently, so if you have any other questions, please ask."

"Well, um..." Yukio wanted to ask about the coal tars, but she would have no idea what he was talking about."Did you go there last night? I noticed you look very tired today."

"Ah, is it obvious?" she asked, voice losing a bit of its pep."I did go back last night, not exactly the smartest idea when I have work the next morning. But for some reason, I've been feeling extra drained since then."

Was it the coal tars? Could they somehow be leeching off her energy? Yukio had never heard of coal tars lurking in vibrate places like The Red Blossom sounded or had ever seen them do something as strange as suck on a person skin to the point where Yukio felt like he would tear skin if he tried to rip them off.

"Could I try something?" Yukio asked her.

"Huh?" She blinked."Sure..."

Yukio took out a canister of holy water, attaching a sprayer onto the top so it was like a stray bottle. She flinched as he lightly spritzed her shoulders, arms and hips where the coal tars resided.

"Do you feel any better now?" he asked as the coal tars disappeared into steam. At least these strange coal tars could still be killed with holy water.

She hummed, stretching a bit and then blinking."Yeah, I do, thank you! Wow, what kind of magic potion did you put in that water?"

"You're welcome." Yukio chuckled."I really should get going now. Will this pamphlet tell me where it is?"

"Yeah. There's lots of buses that will take you there. It's just a matter of finding the right one."

"That's no problem." Yukio put the canister of holy water back on his belt."Thank you for everything."

"Your welcome." She bowed back."Have a good day, sir."

Yukio left the inn, stepping into the street and instantly looking over at The Red Blossom. The coal tars were still there, lurking and stinking the place up. Yukio debated going to The Red Blossom now to investigate or going out to the aquarium.

He still hadn't gotten word from Tanaka, so he wasn't sure what exactly he needed to look for, but he wouldn't be able to enter The Red Blossom anyways since it was currently closed. He wouldn't know what was causing the massive clumps of coal tars to inhabit until he understood what exactly went on inside the establishment.

Still, these coal tars were acting abnormal. It was almost like they were evolving and that was unsettling. Did this have something to do with the high level demon inhabiting the area?

Yukio didn't know. There was so much he was unsure of. It made him frustrated. Still, he went to the aquarium.  
  


* * *

  
  
"What do you think, Ryuji?" Lewin asked him, not losing eye contact with the Baba Yaga."You say we can classify this as high level?"

"Mid to high at least," Bon responded, watching it creepily crack its neck back and forth."Any lower wouldn't make sense."

The demon took a single, small step forward. It gurgled, voice grumbling like it was attempting to speak."Ex...ill..."

"No way..." Bon breathed, eyes widening. Lewin had been thinking the same, eyes wide and mouth slowly opening in shock.

It was trying to speak.

"K-kill..." it growled out."Kill...exor...cists..."

"Kill exorcists...?" Bon interpreted through its garbled words.

"It's recognized we're exorcists," Lewin mumbled with astonishment."We're not even wearing out uniforms, yet it recognized us. Was it trying to lure in more exorcists by killing those first two?"

"Exorcists..." it grumbled."Kill...KILL!"

It jumped at the two of them, cleaver high in the air.

"Lightning!" Bon called, the other snapping out of his thinking to quickly step out of the way of the blow.

The cleaver cut into the wood floor, chips of wood flying up and obscuring Bon's vision. Still, he could see well enough and quickly got behind the Baba Yaga. Bazooka not a good weapon to use in such a fragile building, Bon instead pulled out a pistol he kept on his person and fired at the Baba Yaga's back. In the blink of an eye, it ducked away from the shot and grabbed its cleaver.

"Shit!" Bon cursed. The Baba Yaga was too intelligent. He wouldn't be able to get in a shot without a distraction.

The Baba Yaga turned menacingly towards him, cleaver raised once again as it sprinted towards him. Bon made to get away but found his feet were stuck. He looked down and noticed coal tars sticking to his feet, pinning him down.

"What...?"

"Sylphs!" Lewin spoke, sylphs appearing next to him and quickly circling the Baba Yaga in a wave of air.

Bon fell back on his ass as the Baba Yaga swatted and roared at the sylph distracting it."No! No!" it yelled at them.

The coal tars around Bon expanded, sucking on every part of his body they could reach. Bon quickly got out a canister of holy water and sprayed them all away as well as any nearby. Were the coal tars helping the Baba Yaga? Bon had never seen them act so strangely before.

By the time he was done spraying himself off, Lewin had finished saying the Baba Yaga's death verse and exorcised it. Bon let out a sigh of relief.

"What's up, Ryuji?" Lewin asked him, looking down at him from his spot on the floor."You slipped."

"The coal tars..." Bon started, looking over at the ones floating and slinking towards him."They stopped me."

"They stopped you?" Lewin questioned, stepping over Bon and walking over to the ones floating in the next room.

Noticing Lewin, they migrated over towards him instead and attached to his body, especially his feet. Lewin stood still, simply watching them attach to his skin and clothes and stay there.

"Strange..." he mumbled, pulling on one stuck to his shirt. The coal tar stretched and strained against the clothing, coming off with a bit more force but taking some cloth with it still."They're like leeches."

_I'm gonna have to patch that up later_ , Bon noted.

"The ones against my skin are sucking out energy. I already feel a bit more tired." Lewin plucked another off his clothes and Bon winced at the second hole it created.

"Are you okay?" Bon asked, coming up to him."Let me take care of them for you."

"Oh, thank you." Lewin smiled at Bon as he sprayed the coal tars into nothing but air."This counts as a bath, right?"

"No way," Bon quickly snapped back."There's no way you're getting out of taking one after this. You're all dirty."

"You're so good to me."

Bon huffed back, finally cleaning up all the coal tars on Lewin. Once they were both clean, Bon took off the small headpiece he was wearing on the side of his face which recorded the whole encounter. He turned it off, making sure the video was all there so he could send it to Konekomaru later.

"You still doing that for him?" Lewin asked, watching as Bon also took out his phone to take some photos of the abnormal coal tars.

"Yeah, Konekomaru could use all the data he can get before his app is finished," Bon responded."He might even be able to pull together some information on the abnormal Baba Yaga for us."

"That would help," Lewin said back."If he can gather any new info on these coal tars I would also be grateful. It's an interesting phenomenon."

"I'll ask him to look into them." Bon sprayed some which began crawling closer to them."Since he's finally forgiving me because of all the information I've been giving him from our international travels, it seems he's more willing to help me out again."

"Oh, right, he was all grumpy when you left," Lewin noted, walking back into the room the Baba Yaga was in."The kind Ryuji hurt his feelings."

Bon looked down in discontent."It couldn't be helped."

"Well, stop moping. Let's look for any other clues we can find as to why these demons are acting so strange."

"Maybe this building is cursed?" Bon questioned, tapping the walls next to him but finding nothing abnormal.

"We would've felt it the moment we entered," Lewin rejected."No, it was something specific to the Baba Yaga and these coal tars. There's something that's making them smarter. Didn't you notice the Baba Yaga's cleaver? It was completely clean."

"Right, it was..." Bon's eyes widened."If it killed those exorcists, it would've been covered in blood, but it wasn't. That means...the Baba Yaga cleaned it? It cleaned the cleaver after killing them?"

"Correct!" Lewin grinned."So who knows what's happening, huh? Now even the demons are evolving!"

"Is that possible?" Bon asked."Can demons evolve like this?"

Lewin hummed off, coming back to the coal tars and peering at them but not getting close enough to have them rip at more of his clothes."I don't know. Well, this is a new development, so doesn't that make it all the more exciting?"

Only Lightning would find this thrilling. Well, Bon had become a bit more crazy lately too.

"I'll look around the outside of the house for anything," Bon started."Once the sun sets we should probably head back to the hotel."

"If there's nothing to find, we'll just leave this up to the Hokkaido sect and head back to the main branch in Tokyo. It'll be a nice change to see all your friends after so long."

"It's been awhile since you've seen Arthur too. We should stop at the Vatican as well."

"Yeah, you're right." Though more than anything, Lewin looked like he had forgotten all about him.  
  


* * *

  
  
_"You can't be serious, Bon!" Rin shouted at him._

_"I'm sorry Rin, Konekomaru, everyone." Bon looked at his friends from cram school with soft eyes."But I still have so much to learn. I want to stay, especially now, but I need to do this."_

_"You can learn all that stuff here at True Cross!" Konekomaru countered."You don't have to go running around the world with Lewin Light! There are other people who can teach you just as good."_

_"No," Bon rejected firmly."It has to be Lightning. He..." Bon teetered off because even he couldn't describe it well. It just had to be him. There was something his master would show him and things he could teach him in return."I can't let go of this chance, Konekomaru. Master is my ideal."_

_"You're really going...?" Shiemi asked, voice a hushed whisper. Her head was downwards, trying to hide her pain._

_"First Yukio graduates early and leaves us all behind, then Shima just disappears after his birthday, and now you want to go too?" Rin asked, pain in his voice."How many more of us are going to be left after this? It's like everyones leaving for good!"_

_"It's not for good and you know it," Bon growled back."I'll still keep in contact and come back when I have the chance. Some people just can't stay at home forever. I'm sure Yukio thought the same."_

_"Then what about Shima?" Konekomaru asked."Did he just want to 'leave home'? Didn't you say you would help us find him?!"_

_"What, now you're breaking promises?" Izumo raised an eyebrow."You never seemed the type."_

_"I'm not giving up on Shima. It's just..." Bon looked off, not wanting to say it but knowing he had to. It was harsh, but it was reality."Don't you think Shima doesn't want to be found? If he wanted us to chase after him, he would've gave us a sign as to where he went, but Shima left us with nothing. In the end, he doesn't work for True Cross, he works for Mephisto as a spy."_

_"You're saying he abandoned us for some spy mission?!" Rin yelled."He could be dead for all we know!"_

_"Rin's right!" Shiemi backed him up."He could at least...contact us..."_

_"As much as I hate to say it, this was the path he wanted to take," Bon started, looking at them all."And this is the path I want to take."_

_"Fine!" Konekomaru threw his hands up in a rare fit of rage."Go and run off with Lightning! You two suit each other just fine!"_

_He stormed off, Rin following behind him and sticking out his tongue to taunt Bon. Shiemi, not sure what to do, quickly ran off after the other two._

_Izumo and Bon watched them go._

_"Look," she started."I don't really care what you do or with whom, but don't make Shiemi cry. She and everyone else care about you."_

_Bon smiled softly back at her, knowing she was also secretly including herself."I know."_  
  


* * *

  
  
Yukio took a bus to the Otaru Aquarium while continuing to wait for contact from Tanaka. He could always contact the Sapporo branch, but he decided to give him until the bus ride over to contact him. So, when Yukio arrived at the aquarium, he contacted the branch.

As his phone dialed, Yukio watched families and couples happily get off the bus and move towards the aquarium even in the middle of the snowy winter. Yukio guessed it was probably fun to watch the penguins waddle around in their natural habitat. Mundane days like that were beyond him as he was now completely immersed in demon hunting and trapped in his own mind. When was the last time he had even thought about love?

The ringing on his phone stopped."Hello, this is Sapporo Exorcist Headquarters. How may I help you?"

"Hi, this is Okumura Yukio. I came by yesterday to speak with you," Yukio started."You said an exorcist by the name of Tanaka was currently investigating my case and I left my number there so he could contact me when he got back."

"Oh, right, Okumura," the voice noted, sounding like the women he met."Did you meet with Tanaka?"

"No, that's why I'm calling."

"Ah, I see..." There was some noise on the other side of the phone and then the women voice was back in his ear."Well, it seems Tanaka never came back yesterday. He might've decided to spend the night in Otaru."

"Is there any way you could contact him?" Yukio asked.

"We're trying right now, but..." she mumbled off, voice away from her phone as his spoke of her colleague."It looks like he's not picking up. He could've left his phone somewhere or it could be powered off..."

"Then, do you know anything else about where he might be investigating? Or perhaps any features I should look out for?" He was really grasping at straws at this point. The whole thing was a mess.

"He said he would be near the coast by the aquarium since the demon's always been spotted by the seaside," she said back to him."He's probably wearing his exorcist uniform too, so he shouldn't be hard to miss."

Great. And how close was Yukio to the sea?

There were some sounds on the other end of the line and then the male exorcist was speaking to Yukio."Try checking near the Herring Mansion. I know there's a small shrine nearby. He could've investigated over there."

"Okay, I will," Yukio responded. Thank god he didn't have to start running around without a set plan."Thanks for all the help."

"We just want to make sure Tanaka's okay," the exorcist responded.

Yukio wasn't sure about how he should cheer him up, so he did what he always did."I'll contact you when I find him."

"Please do."

The call ended there and Yukio only had sour thoughts in his head. An unidentified demon. An exorcist leaving to investigate alone. There were too many anomalies to think this was a normal case. What crazy job had Mephisto sent him out here do to?

Pinching his brow, Yukio checked where the Herring Mansion was and found it wasn't far away, only a short walk. So, Yukio began walking.

Even if Tanaka wasn't there, perhaps there would be traces of the demon he could look into. If not, his next stop was The Red Blossom. There was something going on there that may have something to do with the demon Yukio was hunting. Even with the lack of exorcists out here, one of them would've noticed such an anomaly if this hand been going on for a long time. If not that, the sluggish and tired bodies of the tourists and party goers of Otaru would've gotten out of hand and True Cross would've picked up on it. Yukio would need to contact the main branch after checking out The Red Blossom to get more help decontaminating all the people who entered.

They could be roaming around right now, energy being drained out of them from those parasitic-like coal tars. But the woman at the counter of the inn had been going to The Red Blossom for some time, so maybe people wouldn't be affected unless they went back multiple times? The main clients entering were probably tourists out for a fun night in Otaru and not people like the woman at the inn.

But if this was a new development or you only needed to enter The Red Blossom one time to get coal tars attached to you, then Yukio would need to contain these coal tars as swiftly as possible. And, while The Red Blossom wasn't exactly next to the coast, they could be the demon that everyones been hunting down or somehow related to it.

With that last thought, Yukio made it to Herring Mansion but then paused right outside of it. There were blaring ambulance lights and a crowd of people standing around. To the left of the scene, Yukio saw some of the local authority talking with an older women wrapped in a shawl.

With a hard look, Yukio made his way over to the scene, attempting to push through the crowd.

"Excuse me," he said, nudging the people beside him and pushing forward."Please let me though."

Everyone was too enraptured with the scene to pay attention to Yukio. Thankfully, Yukio was much taller and bigger than everyone else so he could easily see over them once getting close enough. He was right in time to witness the paramedics pulling a man on a stretcher into the back of the ambulance.

It wouldn't do them any good at this point, Yukio noticed instantly. That man was dead. And, by the sight of his exorcist uniform, that dead man was Tanaka.

Yukio really couldn't catch a break.  
  


* * *

  
  
Bon sent the data he collected to Konekomaru once they got back to the hotel. With a bit of dragging and demanding, Bon got Lewin into the shower to wash off whatever filth they collected at that old shed of a house.

Over the years Bon had come to understand how to get Lewin into the bath. Gentle persuasion was no good and force was best but Bon found that even if he got Lewin in the bath, the filthy man had no idea how to properly clean himself. So Bon, like a typical mom, had to go and reteach Lewin how to properly clean himself which was one of the most horrendous things he had ever done. Still, it was better then having him smelling up the place.

So they both bathed and went to sleep, not having anything else to do the rest of the night. It was typically mission after mission with them because of the shortage of exorcists, so this small bit of reprieve, even if during a mission, was nice. To be back in his home country and able to spend some time with Lewin on a casual mission was nice.

The next morning, Bon and Lewin woke up at a reasonable time and ate breakfast. They looked over the information they got yesterday and discussed plans for the future. If Konekomaru didn't come through with anything, they would head back to the main branch for a short rest and regroup before the next mission.

Konekomaru's call came later in the afternoon, a bit before dinnertime. Bon answered and put them on speaker.

"Hey, Konekomaru," he greeted."You're on speaker."

"Ah, oh, hello you guys!" Konekomaru stumbled out, surprised.

"Konekomaru!" Lewin called happily."It's great to hear from you! So, any new information for us?"

"Lightning..." It was safe to say Konekomaru still wasn't totally over Bon leaving with Lewin. He was fine with Bon but Lewin's whole attitude about it, or lack of, rubbed him wrong."Yes, we did find some things. We're still investigating and sifting through all the stuff you gave us, but I thought I should tell you now what we've got so you can start traveling."

"Start traveling?" Bon questioned."What about the house?"

"We'll send some exorcists over to investigate further. For now, we need you to head up north to Otaru."

"Otaru?" Lewin questioned."What'd you find?"

"Well," Konekomaru started."In the video Bon sent me, we noticed some foliage on the Bada Yaga and investigated it. Our computers picked up some readings on one of the plants and apparently it's native to Mount Yoichi. You can find some of the plant on Mount Tarumae but not nearly enough to be probable for the Baba Yaga to be native to the mountain."

"Wait, so you're saying the Baba Yaga's from Mount Yoichi?" Bon blinked."That means it walked over here from Otaru? But that doesn't make sense! It would've sensed people in Otaru and stayed there, not traveled all the way over to Tomakomai."

"That's what we're hoping to figure out by sending you over there," Konekomaru explained."It's the middle of winter, so the mountains are all snowed over. There are people skiing and hanging around resorts in the nearby mountains, so the Baba Yaga shouldn't have gone over to Tarumae with all the elements against it like this."

"Abnormal..." Lewin mumbled."Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," Konekomaru responded, voice sound."The Baba Yaga had to come from Mount Yoichi."

Lewin hummed, thinking. Bon watched him with patience and waited for his masters next move.

"Alright." Lewin suddenly grinned, looking at Bon."Let's go to Otaru!"  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **: Geography :**
> 
> Mount Yoichi - directly south of Otaru
> 
> Mount Tarumae - north west of Tomakomai
> 
> There's a great expanse of mountains, forests, hot springs, and even a lake separating them. A rough trek, especially in the winter.
> 
> Demons (as filed in the manga)
> 
> File 48: Sylph  
> Low to Mid Level  
> Kin of Azazel, King of Spirit. This type of Elemental possesses air and manifests as small fairies. They're mischievous, but have the natural ability to purify air.  
> Manga - Ch.70, Rin and Bon go to Lewin's new room at True Cross to help him clean. Lewin brings out some sylph's to clean the air


	3. A Treacherous Train Ride

Shima had to admit he had never seen so many coal tars in one place. Sure, he didn't go cleansing coal tar infested places all that often during his training, but it still seemed like a little much considering the area.

The Red Blossom was one of the most popular, elegant, and _clean_ places in Otaru, so why the hell were there coal tars there? Well, Shima had a vague idea as to why but didn't really want to bother with the logistics because they were just coal tars. A little holy water was all it took to exorcise them, no biggie.

So, life went on and Lady Tsubaki looked even more sexy everyday Shima laid eyes upon her. How did Shima get hooked up with such a sweet deal? Mephisto said he would be thanking him after this and Shima would gladly get down on his knees when he saw him next and sing his praises.

Sure, Lady Tsubaki was crazy and creepy at times but damn did she have huge tits. Shima would not mind dying between them at the end of all this. She would totally do it for him too. Shima had grown on her nicely over the years because he was so good at singing her praises. It wasn't like Shima was lying at all either.

But things were beginning to grow strange at The Red Blossom. First it was the innocent coal tars. No harm no foul, right? Well, that quickly changed as Shima noticed the coal tars began sticking and leeching off customers to the point where they looked like they were beginning to suck the life out of them and Shima couldn't do anything about it.

Shima didn't exactly know why they were acting so abnormal and wanted to investigate, but he knew it was hopeless. Lady Tsubaki kept him on a tight leash, so him going off on his own or making random calls to unknown numbers was a no go. He couldn't even exorcise the demons or else Lady Tsubaki would notice.

Another strange thing was Yukio being in Otaru. Shima had noted where he was staying and wondered if his trip here had anything to do with the coal tars. If so, that would be a problem for Shima because he couldn't have some known face disrupting his mission. Maybe he was just on vacation.

Yeah, vacation all alone. That seemed right.

The last was Lady Tsubaki's unusually chipper mood. She was always happy in that sly, pleased way of hers, but recently it seemed elevated. Even when Shima accidentally made the first move and touched her she didn't looked that pissed off, only a mild slap on the wrist and some wistful words. That's when Shima knew something big was about to happen. He could feel it, so when Lady Tsubaki called him to her room after a long day, he knew it was time.

"The reception was wonderful today," Lady Tsubaki remarked to Shima."You did a great job, Kenji. Now we can finally get to the truly exciting stuff."

"Oh." Shima faltered."Was there anything I should've prepared, milady?"

Lady Tsubaki let out a breathless chuckle."Always so eager to please." She pressed up beside him."Don't worry, Kenji, I had some of the other staff prepare my chambers."

Shima let out a chuckled breath."I try my best."

Shima stepped ahead of her and slid open the door to her chambers, letting her step inside before following suit. The door slid behind him and Shima wondered what would happen next. It all depended on Lady Tsubaki's mood, really.

"I had somebody come to see me recently," Lady Tsubaki remarked offhandedly, moving over to sit on her small perch at the edge of the sheets and massive futon laid out."Quite the strange character, but the deal I was given was simply impossible to pass up."

Shima remained quiet, standing at the other end of the futon and waiting for any orders. Lady Tsubaki rested her arm against a small cushion, producing a the long, elegant pipe she always smoked out of and prepping it.

"I've never had the option to become more," she continued, lighting her pipe and taking a drag."I'm a static being, my power is decided at birth, so imagine my surprise when I'm told I could change. I could become _better_."

She paused, looking up at Shima with a thin, predatory grin."Kenji, _laugh for me_. Just keep laughing and laughing. _Don't stop laughing until I tell you to_."

And Shima was urged forward, suddenly letting out a bubbling laugh. It continued and grew until Shima was clutching his sides like he had heard the funniest joke in the world. He grew lightheaded and fell to his knees, body curling forward at the pressure as he just kept laughing and laughing.

"What a beautiful sound," Lady Tsubaki mused to herself amidst the laughter."That's the sound of power. The sound of complete control. This is what Machiavellian words are supposed to be used for! They're for our pleasure!"

She laughed along with Shima, watching him and looking down on his pitiful form."I wonder what you're laughing at, Kenji. Your circumstances? Your life? How miserable you are, even with all this laughter? Are you trying to act like everything's okay?"

Shima couldn't respond even if he had heard her voice amongst his laughter. All he could do was laugh. His voice was not his own and his body couldn't follow through to stop him. His vision was getting worse as he began to lose air and he knew if he wasn't freed soon, he would die.

How ironic.

"Alright, _stop laughing_ ," Lady Tsubaki finally called.

Shima quickly shut up, breathing a deep breath and coughing directly afterwords. Lady Tsubaki's long pipe came over and tilted Shima's face upwards so she could get a better look at him.

"Breathless already?" She smiled at him."The nights just starting, Kenji. I thought you were still young?"

Shima coughed, giving her a wry smile. She returned it.

Yeah, he was screwed.  
  


* * *

  
  
Bon and Lewin hopped on the first train to Otaru after packing their things and checking out of the hotel. It was sudden, so they probably wouldn't make it to Otaru until later that night because they still hadn't eaten dinner and would probably make a stop for some food somewhere of Lewin's choosing. Bon just hoped it wouldn't be more burgers.

"How about ramen?" Bon suggested."Warm, spicy ramen to fight off the cold weather."

"Hm..." Lewin contemplated Bon's suggestion which was already progress to him."But—"

Thankfully Bon's phone ringing cut him off. He did not want to hear Lewin arguing for burgers another night. It had only been a day but he was already sick of them.

"Hello?" Bon answered the phone.

"Hey Bon, it's me," Konekomaru's distinctive voice spoke through the phone."Are you heading to Otaru?"

"Just got on the train," Bon responded, looking to Lewin and giving him a look. He knew instantly who Bon was talking to just by the tone of his voice and leaned forward."What's up?"

"I had some of management look up who was in Otaru," Konekomaru started."The branch there is currently undergoing some renovations so the main branch in Sapporo sends over officers to patrol instead. Anyways, that's not the point. Apparently, Mephisto sent Okumura-sensei to Otaru on a mission to hunt down a potentially high level demon that's been spotted coming down from up north in Wakkanai."

"Okumura?!" Bon's eyes widened. He hadn't heard anything about Rin's brother since he left True Cross to become a full-time exorcist."You're saying he's in Otaru?"

Lewin perked up at the familiar name, grin on his face widening.

"Yeah, so maybe he'll know something about our Baba Yaga case," Konekomaru responded."Do you still have his number? I was thinking about contacting him for you but it would probably be best for the both of you to meet and share information."

"I'm sure I have it." Bon didn't bother checking now."Though it's been so long since any of us saw him. I wonder if he's changed much. Maybe he's loosened up since then."

"I don't know about that," Konekomaru mumbled."I mean, this is Okumura we're talking about. He's never rested a day in his life."

"You're right." His dedication had Bon's respect during his time as an exwire."Well, I'll text you if anything comes up. Thanks for the info, Konekomaru."

"Yeah," Konekomaru responded."Send me any other information you get as well, Bon. And, uh, stay safe."

"I will, don't worry."

Bon cut the call and Lewin waited with an expectant look.

Bon raised an eyebrow."What, right now? You want me to call him now?"

"No better time then the present." The look he was giving Bon just couldn't be ignored. He knew he would give in like he always did. When it came to Lewin, Bon had a harder and harder time laying down the hammer.

With a sigh, Bon gave in like usual."Alright, I'll call him." There's was no reason not to, anyways. Bon searched through his phone and easily found Yukio's number. He just hoped he hadn't changed it since he saw him last.

He rested back in his seat and called. Lewin across from him looked like he also wanted to listen in but left Bon alone. It would be rude to put the phone on speaker in the middle of the train. Plus, they didn't want anyone listening in on their conversation. They would seem like weirdos, if they didn't already. Bon was just happy Lewin developed enough sense to not always go barging into every situation. That or maybe he just knew Bon would know which questions to ask.

The call rang for a few beats until someone picked up."Okumura Yukio speaking," the rushed voice on the other line spoke.

There was lots of noise on his end and Bon thought he might've even heard a siren."Hi, Okumura, it's Bon."

Lewin grinned as he started talking and Bon gave him a small look back.

"Bon?" Yukio questioned and then there were some louder voices muffled after."Sorry, give me a second."

Bon waited, knowing Yukio was probably moving to a more secluded space. It looked like he was plenty busy.

"Well?" Lewin asked in a smaller voice.

"Give him a second," Bon responded much to Lewin's displeasure.

"Alright," Yukio spoke through the phone with a small grunt."We're good to talk. What's up?"

"Konekomaru told us you were investigating a case in Otaru," Bon started."We recently got back to Japan to take care of a Baba Yaga in Tomakomai who had killed two exorcists there. Apparently the Baba Yaga came from Mount Yoichi, right along the coast of Otaru."

"What was a Baba Yaga from Mount Yoichi doing in Tomakomai? Isn't that on the opposite side of a huge mountain range?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out," Bon explained."The Baba Yaga and the coal tars in the building with it were both acting abnormal. I don't know how long you've been in Otaru, but I was wondering if you had seen or heard anything about this? Like maybe some type of barrier keeping demons away from Otaru?"

"Did you say abnormal coal tars?" Yukio asked.

"Yeah."

There was a short silence on the other end of the phone. Then, Yukio spoke."It looks like we need to share some information. Are you heading to Otaru now?"

"Yeah, we just got on a train. I'd say we'll be there in about two hours unless we decide to wait till we get to Otaru to eat."

Lewin perked up at the idea of food."Sapporo," he whispered to Bon.

Bon nodded."Yeah, it looks like we're gonna stop in Sapporo before."

"Okay, then contact me when you arrive," Yukio replied."I have some things to investigate here as well, so I probably wont be able to get in touch with you until late tonight. From there, we'll meet up and trade information."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Oh, and Bon?"

"Yeah?"

"By 'we', are you referring to Lewin Light?" Yukio asked."Or are you working with someone else now?"

"No, I'm with Lightning."

"I see." Yukio had a far away sound in his voice."That's good. Okay, I'll see you in Otaru."

"Yeah, see you there."

Yukio hung up first and Bon slowly pulled away from his phone. As always, he was so strange and always wound up. Bon wondered how he could do it alone for so long.

"We're gonna meet Okumura in Otaru," Bon explained."It looks like he may have some information for us."

"Good, good," Lewin sang."Everything's coming together!"

"And what was this about Sapporo?" Bon raised an eyebrow."Don't tell me there's some burger place you want to go to there."

"It's a big city, Bon, which means lots of food," Lewin explained with that look on his face that made Bon weak."I'm sure you can find something to satisfy both our desires."

Annoying, that's what he was. Yet Bon couldn't seem to let go.

"So you want another burger," Bon grumbled back.

"My wife knows me so well!" Lewin sang, catching the attention of a couple people on the train but, thankfully, most of them had their headphones in. Lewin could really care less about his surroundings outside of his job.

"It's been four years," Bon returned. Roughly two years at the academy and two more traveling around with Lewin. It didn't feel as long as it was.

"Aw, don't be so bashful." Lewin grinned back at him."Even when I left the Japan branch you were always looking out for me. Everyone was worried the world was gonna end a second time because of how clean I was. No one would calm down until I explained you were helping me out."

Bon's eyes widened. He hadn't realized Lewin had talked about him to others. He seemed like he wouldn't bring him up often. Oh god, what did all the Arc Knights think of him? And the Paladin too?

"Did you tell them about, uh..." Bon swallowed thickly. Oh god, he didn't want to know.

"You personally bathing me, doing my laundry, and keeping my place clean?" Lewin blinked beneath that bushy hair of his."I did."

"Oh god..." Bon put his head in his hands."I can never show my face at the Vatican again..."

Lewin laughed at him."It's okay! They're—"

A violent scream cut off Lewin's sentence. People ran past Bon and he turned around in his seat to see what was going on. Lewin had already sat up and tilted his head into the aisle, avoiding the swarms of people, to assess the situation.

"A hijacker?" Bon questioned, not able to see anything past the bodies.

"I can't tell," Lewin responded. He stood up on his chair, tip toeing above everyone else to see above the crowd.

Bon attempted to look down the aisle but was immediately pushed back, force causing him to sprawl back over the empty floor between their chairs. Lewin paid him no mind, stepping over him and onto the seat Bon was previously occupying. The crowd thinned dramatically at this point so he could see better.

"It's a person!" Lewin called giddily."Wow, is this really a hijacking? How exciting!"

"I highly doubt that," Bon grumbled back, sitting up. The middle aisle was now clear as the passengers had safely scattered towards each end of the train.

Bon looked to the right where everyone was coming from to assess the situation himself. Right at the end of the car next to them were three bodies and from the wounds and the blood, Bon could deduce quickly that they were dead. He grimaced, trying to keep calm but his nerves were out of control. Right across from him, a killing had occurred. People had died.

"No way..." Bon mumbled, eyes slowly pulling up to see two women in the middle of it all. One was sat down and the other stood across from her holding a long knife.

"You're jealous, aren't you, huh?!" The women with the knife shouted."You're sooooo jealous! You can't even stand it!"

The frightened women, whose hands were already high in the air, shrieked further."I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please..."

"Huh?! Are you saying you're not?! ARE YOU LYING TO ME?!" The women pulled her knife back, ready to thrust downwards at the seated girl.

"Stop!" Bon yelled, holding up the pistol he always kept on his person and stepping into the aisle to face her. The bullets were meant for demons, but no one needed to know that.

"Huh...?" The women's head slowly turned towards him. Bon didn't know what it was, but there was something in her eyes that caused a shiver of fear to run down his spine. There was something abnormal about them, but Bon didn't have time to worry about that.

"So it's you, huh? I can tell. You have a pretentious look on your face." Her body swirled around to face Bon, knife now pointing in his direction. The women she had trapped quickly ran away while she had the chance, shaking legs almost causing her to trip as she made her escape.

The other women just let her go, face contorting into something depraved."You. Make. Me. Sick."

She took a step forward.

"Don't move!" Bon shouted back."Drop the knife and put your hands in the air!"

"Oh, you sounded like a policeman there, Ryuji!" Lewin commented, completely numb to his current situation.

The women snapped to him then and Bon knew he had to do something. But what could he do? Exorcists weren't policemen, they dealt with demons not humans.

"Are you mocking me?" the women shouted at Lewin."You are, huh? Huh?!"

"No one's mocking you," Bon tried to reason with her and her gaze thankfully snapped back to him."So please just put the knife down."

The women looked down at the knife in her hand, then back up at Bon. She grinned."No way in hell, exorcist."

Everything happened in a flash after that. The women came at Bon faster than he could blink. He fired at her in his shock but the bullet was deflected by her knife with amazing skill. Lewin had moved around the chairs, jumping at her and placing two fingers on her arm as she passed him.

"Braso!" he shouted.

At the chant, the women's eyes quickly widened and she snapped backwards but not before Lewin touched her head with the same two fingers.

"Sir!" he shouted this time.

She screamed at the contact this time, distancing herself at the end of the train car where she was previously. The points where Lewin touched her burned and sizzled grey smoke. Lewin quickly put himself between Bon and the demon women.

"So my guess was correct!" He grinned."Wow, how exciting! This is the second time I've met a Kukyo!"

Bon's eyes widened. This was a Kukyo? He had only learned about them in school and read about them in textbooks since they were impossible to find. It made sense, though, because some of the only information on them was that they took human form so of course Bon wouldn't be able to recognize one.

"Oh, let me guess! Let me guess!" Lewin squinted at her."By the way you're acting, you must be Jealousy, am I right? Or was it Envy?"

The women's eyes hardened and she growled at him."It was Wrath, wasn't it? He told you that death verse, didn't he?" She didn't wait for his answer."Of course he did! That peace-loving idiot just had to side with the humans! To afraid to get his hands dirty himself!"

"He didn't just give it up so willingly when we asked," Lewin responded."It took a bit of persuasion. Some exorcists didn't even think it was worth the trouble with how stubborn he was!"

She scowled at him further, remaining silent for a brief moment."...Is he dead?"

"Nope! We left him alone after all his cooperation," Lewin stated."Your sister, Sloth, is though."

Her eyes widened and she let out a loud screech which cracked some of the windows around them. Her whole body flexed and convulsed and she shot towards Lewin quickly in her rage. Both Lewin and Bon got out of the way of the bullet attack, jumping out of the aisle on each side of the train car.

The demon's feet smashed against the closed doors at the other end of the train car, steam wafting around her.

"Help me distract her, Ryuji!" Lewin shouted at him from the chairs across the aisle."I have to complete five more points to exorcise her!"

"Got it!" Bon quickly responded, but he wasn't so confident he could back Lewin up. His primary weapon, his bazooka, was rows down next to the chair he was previously sitting in. All he had was a pistol and some summoning chants he knew he wouldn't have time to complete before she attacked him.

Bon noticed Lewin moved under the seats so he was now across the aisle from him. With a sharp curse he shot up, swiftly aiming his gun at the demon."Over here, you pathetic demon!"

If this demon was controlled by jealously, then words were all he had to draw its attention. It worked, too, as the demon snapped towards him the minute the words came out of his mouth.

"What did you call me?!"

She jumped off the doors, denting them in her wake, and shot towards Bon. Her body was still human, though her enhanced strength and speed made her tougher, so Bon was ready when she shot at him. Still, he wasn't prepared for her to suddenly flip her body midair so now her feet came barreling towards his face.

Thankfully Lewin grabbed him in time, painfully yanking him back by the collar to help propel himself towards her before she slipped away. Her feet landed on the chair behind Bon with a crushing impact. If he had been still standing there, his head would've been crushed completely.

Lewin used the opening to touch her other arm."Deed!" he shouted.

The demon propelled herself backwards from the chair before Lewin could hit her again, and the chair now completely destroyed after her second contact. She stopped on the doors again, both her arms sizzling and smoking like her forehead and this time she didn't hesitate when propelling herself forward again.

Bon, who was thrown in the center on the aisle, was a clear target for her next attack.

"Ryuji!" Lewin shouted, something Bon had never heard before edging his voice. Fear? Desperation?

Bon noticed the demon coming at him, but this time she was much slower than before. The chant was weakening her, Bon noticed. Without time to hesitate, he readied himself and took some of her blow, grappling her under her armpits and cleanly throwing her over his shoulder so that she was slammed onto the ground behind him.

It hurt so much, but Bon refused to let go of his shaky grip on her as he fell onto his back along with her. Lewin hastily ran over and tapped both of her legs before she could recover.

"Crus! Dno!" he shouted, areas now sizzling as she cried out in pain. She began thrashing in his grip and Bon felt blood now freely dripping down one of his arms because of the knife still in her hand.

"Ryuji, you need to turn her over," Lewin instructed."I need a point on her spine before I can finish her."

Bon grunted, but the minute he began to turn her over he knew he couldn't keep his grip. One powerful push and she was out of his grasp, knife cutting a deep streak into the side of his arm as she got up. Bon yelped, clutching it instantly as a stinging pain shuddered through his body.

Lewin stood over Bon as he recovered, grabbing his gun and aiming at the now weaker demon."Get out of the aisle!" he instructed, shooting three bullets towards the demon as Bon did so. By the sound of pain, he had hit her.

"Damnit! Damnit! Damnit!" the demon growled, body sizzling and shaking from her wounds."You're gonna pay for that, you hear me! You and every other human's gonna pay once I meet my sister! Just you wait!"

She shot towards Lewin like she had been doing, but this time her movements were so slow that Lewin could dodge her attack and easily strike her back.

"Selg!"

With a loud cry, she couldn't even reach the other end of the train car before falling and tumbling down the aisle until she lie limp on the ground.

Lewin walked over to her, flipping her body over with his foot so he could reach her last point and finish the chant. He crouched over her, staring at her growling, inhumane-looking figure.

"Usually I would want to start questioning you now, but for some reason I'm really not in the mood," he said to her."So I guess this is goodbye." Fingers coming down, he aimed them right over her heart and finished the chant.

"Shi."

Ash blew around where she once was, cold wind from the now shattered windows picking it up and swirling it around until nothing was left. Lewin didn't regret his decision, not one bit.

Walking over to Bon, he smiled down at his assistants hunched yet warm body."Let's go get you patched up, Ryuji."

He had a person to search and care for, after all.  
  


* * *

  
  
Yukio got off the phone with Bon, sighing and rubbing the point where his glasses sat on his nose. Things were already plenty complicated with Tanaka's sudden death, but now Bon and _Lightning_ were coming.

He wasn't ready for whatever questions Bon would have about him suddenly leaving and ignoring all contact for years or whatever jabs Lewin would have to add to his words. Yukio had respect for him as an exorcist, but that didn't mean he liked him any. Something about his personality just made him irritated.

But he would deal with them and work with them as best he could, because this case they were dealing with was far too suspicious to be considered normal, and Yukio needed all the expertise he could get. The exorcists at Sapporo were no help, especially after Tanaka's death, and they were so short staffed that Yukio couldn't call anyone else in. They were his best bet.

With Tanaka wheeled away in an ambulance, Yukio called the Sapporo office with a heavy heart to inform them of the tragic turn of events. The call was, well, lackluster.

The male exorcist had answered and quietly listened to Yukio's words. He tried to be kind with his words but it was hard to do. The exorcist just said he would inform his colleague, thanked Yukio, and wished him well on his investigation before he hung up.

Yukio knew better than to call them again during the investigation. He had already gotten everything he needed from them and the Knights of True Cross would investigate Tanaka's body and give Yukio the report as long as he asked for it.

So now, having lost a key witness, Yukio went to the only other place where he could think to go: The Red Blossom.

Back in the heart of Otaru now, Yukio noticed from down the street that people were already going in and out of the place. He knew better than to go in there in his current wears so he went into the inn and changed into more casual, yet nice, clothing. He concealed some holy water in his coat but thought better about any weapons in case they were checking people.

It was completely dark when Yukio walked down the street to go to The Red Blossom. Thankfully there was barely anybody waiting to get inside so Yukio slipped in easily.

The coal tars were all over the place, stuck to walls and drinks and people. Yukio just wanted to cleanse the whole place but knew better than to start right now. Clearly there was something causing this and he didn't want to disrupt it and potentially cause harm to the people inside. For now, he would just scope the place out.

There was lots of depth in the building, different entertainment spots seeming to continue further and further in so much so that Yukio felt like he would get trapped if he went too far down. There was a bar and dancers and people Yukio could tell were just there for the sole purpose of letting the tourists have a fun, thrilling night.

It was totally not Yukio's scene, but the calmer attitude of the place made it bearable. Most everyone was sitting down and casually drinking, so Yukio felt a bit out of place walking around, but he didn't want to sit down and get sucked on by the coal tars waiting for him. He saw a man standing alone and thought it was a chance to get some information when something out of the corner of his eye stopped him.

Yukio blinked, not believing his eyes. But those familiar droopy, wistful eyes met his and he knew he couldn't be seeing things.

"Shi—"

Quickly a hand clapped over his mouth. Yukio's eyes were still wide even as he was dragged away by a casually laughing Shima. He was acting, of course.

Yukio thrashed in his grip once they were out of sight in one of the empty halls in the back. Yukio had no idea how Shima was able to get them back here without alerting someone.

Finally, he was able to pry Shima off him. With a glare, Yukio straightened out his clothes. He had certainly gotten stronger physically with how much stamina he needed to use Yamantaka.

"What are you doing here, Okumura?!" Shima asked, eyes shifting back and forth wildly before focusing back on him.

Yukio, growing even more pissed, scoffed at his question."I should be asking you that." He took a step forward, pointing an accusing finger at him."What the hell are you doing here, Shima?!"  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's take this time to explain all our characters current rankings! Please refer to the [Ao no Exorcist wiki](https://aonoexorcist.fandom.com/wiki/Exorcist) for a list of the rankings. Upper 1st and 2nd are also called Senior 1st Class and Junior 1st Class which is what I will be using in this story.
> 
> Lewin Light (hasn't changed)  
> Rank: Arch Knight  
> Meisters: Tamer, Aria, Knight, Doctor, Dragoon
> 
> Suguro Ryuji  
> Rank: Middle 1st Class  
> Meisters: Aria, Dragoon  
> Working with Lewin has caused Bon to rise the ranks rapidly as he's gained lots of experience in the field. Currently he's thinking of getting another license.
> 
> Okumura Yukio  
> Rank: Senior 1st Class  
> Meisters: Tamer, Aria, Doctor, Dragoon  
> Yukio is currently working towards a Knight license. He doesn't plan on moving any further in rank until then. He enjoys the flexibility of his current rank.
> 
> Shima Renzou  
> Rank: ???  
> Meisters: Tamer, Knight  
> Shima was able to get his Tamer license his first year and Knight his second year of schooling. Because of his current job, Shima has no official rank but will be considered Senior 1st Class by default. Given his skills, he's probably around Middle 1st Class.


	4. Shima's Mission

Bon listened to the doctor in Chitose tell him things he had already heard before. Enough injuries or being around injured people had those results. Thankfully it was nothing too bad or else Bon might've been forced to stay at the hospital for the night.

While Bon spoke with the doctor, Lewin was outside reporting the incident to the Order so they could contain it and resolve any other outside conflict. It was all so muscle memory at this point that Bon barely even blinked at all the procedures.

"From there, you're all set," the doctor finished."I understand you're not a Chitose resident, so where are you heading, if I may ask?"

"Otaru," Bon answered.

"Ah, I see." The doctor nodded."For your own health, I would suggest staying the night here in Chitose to rest and recover. Too much excessive movement will agitate the wound."

It was already night and they promised to meet Yukio in Otaru by the end of today."Hm, well—"

"We'll find a hotel, no problem." Bon turned around, Lewin standing in the doorway now finished with his call."My Ryuji's health is my first priority, after all!"

"And you wont go running off to Otaru while I'm sleeping or something?" Bon asked, because that was what he was worried about the most. Bad things always seemed to follow Lewin when he was investigating all alone. Who knew what kind of things he could say to Yukio?

"I wont!" Lewin promised."You worry too much, Ryuji!"

"It's because you don't worry at all!" Bon snapped back."I worry enough for the both of us."

The doctor watched them and then smiled."I can give you the name of a hotel nearby that's sure to let you in if you would like."

"Oh, that would be great! Thanks!" Lewin grinned at him.

"Let me just write it down for you real quick..." The doctor quickly scribbled the name and address on a spare pad of paper, ripping it off for them."And you're all set! Please don't hesitate to call if anything's amiss."

"I will. Thank you."

Bon and Lewin left the room, walking through the busy hospital with Lewin now carrying the brute of their things.

"How bad is it?" Lewin asked.

"10 stitches and some bruising where she tackled me," Bon responded.

Lewin hummed."Looks like your bulky build paid off, huh? If you were thin and smaller like that friend of yours, Konekomaru, you might've been knocked out for good."

"I've practiced some basic grapples before, so I knew what I needed to do to keep it low impact." Bon paused as some nurses passed by them."I've never done it in action before. I'm glad everything worked out."

"Of course you would know something like that!" Lewin laughed."I swear you're learning new things behind my back everyday."

Bon let through a small smile at Lewin's praise. He was constantly learning new things under Lewin, but he wouldn't deny that he did some extra studying occasionally just to make sure he at least had some knowledge to back his lack of experience in many areas.

"Anyways, what was that demon?" Bon asked."Was that really a Kukyo?"

"Yup," Lewin hummed back."Crazy to find one so out in the open. But no need to worry your little head over that right now."

Bon blinked at him."Huh? But..."

"I have a feeling we'll need to discuss our run-in with the Okumura brother and I don't want to repeat myself," Lewin tutted, smiling over at Bon."I just want to have a fun, lovey-dovey night with Ryuji!"

"Lovey-dovey?" Bon chuckled, trying to hide his embarrassment. God, did Lewin realize what he was saying sometimes? And in public?

"Which reminds me, we need dinner!"

Oh god.

Lewin laughed at him."Don't make such an unpleasant face! No burgers tonight, just for you! What do you think about fried chicken?"

Bon nodded so hard he thought his head might come off."Anything but burgers. Maybe some miso soup, too."

"We _are_ in Japan," Lewin remarked."Might as well enjoy some of your countries food while you're here."

Bon smiled and they both finally exited the hospital to do just that.  
  


* * *

  
  
"Don't call me that!" Shima whisper-yelled back at Yukio with a fearful look on his face, looking around for other people yet again."I'm Arisu Kenji right now."

"Arisu...Kenji?" Yukio stared at him, wondering if he was kidding around. But his clothes were different from what he usually wore. He looked like some kind of high class pimp in his loose suit and styled hair. It had been dyed back to its original brown too. Yukio couldn't help but stare."Is that some kind of alter ego?"

"No, it's not!" Shima whined back."I'm trying to be serious here, Okumura!"

"Then explain." Yukio's eyes went hard."Why do you look like that?"

"Ah..." Shima gave him a sheepish look, twisting a lock on hair idly between his fingers."Lady Tsubaki didn't like my pink hair. She thought it looked tacky."

"Lady Tsubaki?"

"Wait—no! It doesn't matter why I'm here." Shima stepped forward and grabbed Yukio's arm."You need to leave, Okumura. I don't know why you came here, but I can't risk you being here."

"Can't risk me being here?" Yukio questioned, yanking his arm away from Shima's grip."Are you here on a mission? Does it have something to do with all the coal tars in here?"

Shima's face scrunched up then he let out a sigh and rubbed a hand over his face."Fine. Yes, I'm on a mission. A spy mission. You're gonna blow my cover, Okumura, so I need you to leave before we're both in trouble."

"Hah?! Shima, you—"

Quickly, Shima had Yukio pinned against the wall behind him. A protest was instantly on the tip of Yukio's tongue but it came out as more of an embarrassing yelp as Shima moved his hand to rub along his waist. Yukio's own hand was guided by Shima to wrap around his neck.

Shima leaned down."Like I said, right now it's Kenji," he whispered into Yukio's ear in a sensual manner that Yukio never knew possible. It sent shivers down his spine."Please don't press me further, Yukio. I'm not as much of a pushover as I was back at school."

Shima looked to his right, finding that the man passing them was finally gone. Yukio noticed him as well, finally realizing what Shima's whole facade was.

"Quite the accepting establishment you've gotten yourself involved with," Yukio noted, making no move to move out of their current position."How long have you been here? I heard you left True Cross shortly after I did. Looks like you never even graduated."

"You of all people should know that school isn't for me, teach."

"So you intend to be some secret agent the rest of your life? You could never pick sides. Not then, not now."

Shima bowed his head and Yukio's phone rang. They were both startled by the sound, looking down where Yukio's phone was buzzing away without a care about their current situation. With a sigh, Yukio pushed Shima off him and picked up the phone upon looking at the caller. This would be good.

"Suguro?" he answered.

Shima's eyes widened comically, making Yukio smirk. He knew this would finally get him to shut up.

"Wrong! Guess again!" came a cheerful voice from the other end of the phone.

Yukio's mood instantly soured."Lighting. Why are you the one calling me?"

"I don't have your number, you see~"

"Right..."

"It sounds pretty loud on your end," Lewin noted. Of course that irritatingly perceptive man did.

Yukio looked to Shima, wondering if he should say something. He wouldn't like for no one to know where he went if he got kidnapped or something, but the pleading look in Shima's eyes made him stop from speaking up. Honestly, it was an amusing look.

"I'm still investigating," Yukio started explaining."The street next to me is unusually busy."

"I see! I see!" Lewin sounded so chipper about it all."Anyways, Ryuji and I won't be able to meet you tonight, so can we meet tomorrow morning?"

"You can't come tonight? What happened?"

Shima perked up at his words, coming closer to Yukio with curious and slightly distressed eyes. Yukio shot him a look.

"We ran into a little trouble on the train ride over. Don't worry about it. So, can we meet tomorrow?"

"Yeah, that's fine." What kind of trouble? Lewin loved to make light of big events. Yukio would just have to ask more about it tomorrow."I'll give you the address to where I'm staying later. See you tomorrow morning."

Lewin cut the call without any other pleasantries. As expected of him, so rude.

"What was that?" Shima asked, a lot more emotion in his voice."Are Bon and Lightning coming here too?"

"Is that a problem?" Yukio asked, eyebrow raised.

"Like I said, my mission..." The look on Yukio's face made Shima stop talking. He was like an impenetrable gate. Nothing would get through to him unless he wanted it to.

After a brief silence, Yukio finally spoke."Neither you nor I have changed. We're still so selfish."

Before Shima could question him, they both heard another person coming near them. Shima quickly grabbed Yukio and pulled him forward towards him by the collar of his shirt. They stumbled a bit, Shima's back slamming against the wall behind him as he lost his footing at the jerky movements.

Yukio reacted swiftly, one hand awkwardly grabbing his thigh and the other grabbing his waist to steady him. A person appeared in the hallway at that point and Shima rolled with it and wrapped his arms around Yukio's neck and pulled him in.

Yukio watched Shima's face instead of the person passing. He had changed, yet some things were still the same.

"You love to smile when you're nervous, don't you?" Yukio whispered as they patiently waited for the person to pass.

Shima let out a small chuckle."Do I?" He loosened his arms from around his neck."Anyways, they're gone now, so you can let go."

Yukio ignored him."Are you nervous about us getting caught? Or, perhaps, you're worried that I'll find out what you're really doing here?"

"I didn't know you were so interested." Shima's laugh was even more nervous and this time he avidly attempted to push Yukio away, but he wouldn't budge."Okumura, c'mon..."

Yukio wouldn't back down, not while he had Shima pinned. With a smirk, he slowly moved his hand on Shima's thigh up until he reached the curve of his ass.

"E-Eh?!" Shima flinched.

Yukio leaned in."Why are there so many coal tars here, Shima? Or should I call you Kenji?"

"Ah, uh..." Shima's mind was whirling and body tense as he gulped thickly."Milady, the owner, attracts them."

"The owner? Is that Lady Tsubaki?" Yukio questioned, knee coming up to just brush against Shima's crotch. He jumped, looking down at Yukio's knee with a small, complicated noise. In his panic, his hands latched onto Yukio's shoulders.

"Y-Yes..." Shima stuttered."Okumura—"

"Arisu!" another voice called, causing both of them to flinch. Yukio, realizing what he was doing, quickly snapped away from Shima and attempted to compose himself. God, what _was_ he doing?

Shima looked over to greet the familiar worker.

"Stop playing around! Milady is calling for you!"

"I got it. I got it," Shima waved them off."I'll be right over."

With a nod, the worked hustled away to leave them alone.

Shima looked to Yukio, now a more serious look on his face."Please leave, Okumura," he started."I'm on a tight leash here, but I'll find a way to contact you later, okay?"

"I can't trust you, Shima." Because when could he ever? He couldn't be sure Shima's insides had changed like his outward appearance had. There was no telling what he was actually doing here.

"Then at least for today," he pleaded."And, please, don't tell anyone else I'm here. Especially not Bon. I can't have my cover blown."

His pleading, desperate face made Yukio consider giving him some leeway. He couldn't trust Shima. Hadn't since he had outed himself as an Illuminati spy. Still, it might actually be better if those two didn't know about this just yet. Bon may get them into trouble if he goes barging into The Red Blossom demanding to see Shima when they hadn't even fully grasped the situation yet.

"I'll think about it." That was all he could tell Shima. He couldn't decide just yet what he wanted to do since there was still so many questions, like what the hell was he just doing to him?

No, that wasn't something he would think about. Not until his mission was over.

Shima smiled and gave him a small wave."Thanks," he responded, running off to meet Lady Tsubaki.  
  


* * *

  
  
The next morning, Bon and Lewin hopped on a train and rode it to central Otaru where Yukio was staying. They bought some freshly baked buns and ate them while waiting for the train. While eating, the pain from Bon's wounds slowly made itself known as the pain meds wore off and he winced while sitting up and down.

Thankfully Bon had been given some more meds which he took once they got on the train and endured the jostling of the train car as he waited for the meds to set in. Lewin sat squeezed next to him casually to attempt to lessen his movement and keep his arm safe from being touched by anything. Fresh snow fell outside the window and Bon let himself enjoy the bit of warmth Lewin was giving him as the pressed up against one another.

The meds had made him a bit tired which he wasn't used to feeling during the day with Lewin's strict sleep schedule. It was always eight hours a day exactly with him, so Bon had gotten used to that schedule as well. But right now, because of all the nonstop moving around and time changes that had occurred, Bon couldn't be more tired.

He had closed his eyes for a bit, and suddenly they were in Otaru. Yukio had already messaged them his location, so they went straight to his place without delay. Bon and Lewin breathed out smoke due to the cold air and bundled up as they walked to the inn Yukio was staying at.

They were there before they knew it and Yukio had already dressed, eaten, and was waiting for them. Seeing him open the sliding door to his room, Bon had a weirdly reminiscent feeling looking at his old teacher. Who would've thought that after all these years this was how they were to meet again.

"Hey, Okumura! You look older!" Lewin blurted out with a laugh, breaking the odd silence and letting himself inside."Like more adultish."

Bon hesitantly followed his master, sparing Yukio a sheepish glance. Yukio's eyes were on Lewin and he could tell he was irked by him. Yukio had never been fond of Lewin, yet he still respected him. But Lewin's blatant disregard for anyone human meant that Yukio would never get the same respect back and that was probably one of the reasons he couldn't stand him.

"And you haven't changed at all." Yukio tilted his head up at him."Wait, no, it looks like you've actually gotten cleaner? Suguro's probably been helping you, huh."

Bon really hoped his face wasn't as red as it felt. God, so embarrassing.

Lewin, of course, didn't bother with small talk. He just laughed and sat himself on the floor on one of the cushions next to the small table in the center of the room. Yukio and Bon followed suit."Pleasant as always! I assume you got some new info yesterday?"

"Ah..." Yukio blinked, eyes snapping to Bon and back in an odd way."Yeah, I did. But what are you two even doing taking a job here in Hokkaido in the first place? Weren't you working overseas?"

"We were called over," Bon explained."And we also have some business at the main branch once we're done here."

"And on your mission, both the Baba Yaga and the coal tars you saw were acting oddly?"

Bon looked to Lewin, then back at Yukio."Yeah."

"The Baba Yaga killed two exorcists," Lewin explained casually which made Bon cringe."We thought it was just mislabeled, but sure enough it was a Baba Yaga. But it spoke and its actions were highly intelligent for a Baba Yaga. It also seemed to only be going after us exorcists."

Yukio's brow furrowed."Well, I don't know anything about a Baba Yaga, but the coal tars I do. Were they sticking onto you?"

"Like leeches. Energy draining leeches."

"They clearly had some intelligence too," Bon started."When we were fighting the Baba Yaga, they had latched onto my feet as if to prevent me from moving so the Baba Yaga could kill me."

"Yup, sounds the same as the ones here." Yukio pushed up his glasses."Did you see the ones on the woman at the front desk?"

Bon nodded.

"Yeah, that's only the start of it. There's a whole building down the street infected with them."

"Then, let's assume that these abnormal coal tars manifested from somewhere here in Otaru," Lewin started."It could be possible that the Baba Yaga picked some up in the mountain and carried them over to Tomakomai where they multiplied until we found them. But that still doesn't explain the Baba Yaga..."

"There has to be some correlation between the two, right?" Bon looked to Lewin."Something that's making them act so intelligent."

"Clearly they've powered up somehow," Yukio inputed."There has to be some third party interfering."

"You're exactly right!" Lewin suddenly jumped up, stunning the two. He walked over to the rooms single window and opened it, peeking his head out and looking to the left."That's the place, isn't it, Okumura?"

Yukio and Bon both went over to the window and looked where he was staring. The large amount of coal tars could be seen even from where they were.

"Yeah, The Red Blossom. It's some kind of entertainment club. I investigated it last night."

Lewin turned to look at Yukio."And can I assume you met Shima Renzo there?"

Bon and Yukio both flinched at the name for very different reasons. Suddenly, the air in the room changed

"Huh? Shima?" Bon asked, slightly nervous."What does that idiot have to do with any of this?"

"Shima was assigned to a mission here in Otaru by the Order a year or so ago."

"Huh?!" Bon exclaimed loudly, turning to Lewin with wide eyes."You're saying you knew where Shima was this whole time and you didn't tell me?!"

"It's information only authorized personal are allowed to know, so I couldn't tell you, Ryuji," Lewin explained calmly in that way that always tripped Bon up."But now it seems like we may need him."

Bon could barely wrap his head around Lewin's words. He pointed out the window at the building they were looking at."So you're telling me that Shima's in that building right now?"

Bon looked from Lewin to Yukio with a hard stare.

"Yeah," Yukio finally answered."I met him yesterday."

"Seriously...?" Bon could barely contain the sigh and the rage that wanted to boil out of him. There's no way he was gonna let Shima go this time."I'm gonna go kick that idiots ass."

Bon started to move for the door only to be stopped by Lewin's hand on his shoulder."He's undercover right now. As funny as that would be, not now, okay?"

Bon's face hardened like he wanted to protest. This was exactly why Yukio had planned to keep it a secret. Bon hadn't seen Shima in just as much time as Yukio, so of course he would want to demand answers out of him the minute he could. He would go storming in there, disrupt Shima's mission—which he was actually being honest about—and ruin their chances of figuring out whatever the hell was going on with these demons.

Or get someone killed.

But, to Yukio's surprise, Bon let out a sigh and gave in to Lewin's request. At the same time Yukio shouldn't have been so surprised. Four years had passed. He wasn't the only one who had changed.

"Just for now. But I can't promise I wont beat him up the minute I see him."

"Good! Good!" Lewin smiled, gently pushing Bon to sit back on his cushion. Yukio followed suit, but Lewin stayed standing."I'm sure Shima didn't explain his mission to you, Okumura, since it _is_ confidential, so I'll tell you what I remember."

Yukio nodded.

"I'm sure you've heard of Kukyo," Lewin started, Bon perking at his words."They're what exorcists like to call the embodiment of human emotions. Demons who were plagued with eccentric tastes and thus overrun with a specific emotion which turned them human.

"Their hostility level differs per demon, but the Order has always been adamant about tracking them down because of their control over Machiavellian words. A long time ago—before Ryuji was my assistant—we had tracked down a Kukyo who was overrun by wrath named Sal. He gave us information about his kind in return for his safety."

Bon remembered what Lewin had told the one they met on the train, Envy, and had a feeling he knew where this story was going.

"He told us the death verse to kill all seven of them currently in existance and gave us the location of two of his 'siblings' since that was all he knew. His sister Sum Yue, who was overrun by sloth, was exorcised and the Order had been at a stand still about what to do with the other sibling who's overrun by pride. We've had people following her to make sure if she moves, we wont lose sight of her, and then the Order decided to send someone in under cover to stay by her side to see if they could get any further information out of her or locate her other siblings if they decide to meet since it seemed highly probable based off Wrath's information."

Yukio's eyes widened."So that means she's probably..."

"What, Okumura?"

"Shima mentioned something about his boss, a women named Lady Tsubaki," Yukio explained."It looks like she's been keeping him close to her. He also said she's the one attracting the coal tars."

"That would explain such an odd phenomenon," Lewin mumbled off."On the train ride over, we ran into one of the Kukyo, Envy. At least that's what I think she was overrun by."

"What?!"

"She's been exorcised," Lewin quickly explained."But she was clearly coming to Otaru to meet Pride. That makes me suspect that all the others will soon be migrating to meet her as well. There's something she has that they all want."

"Four Kukyo all here in Otaru?" Yukio's eyes widened.

"Shima..." Bon mumbled. If what Lewin said was true, what would happen to Shima, who was right in the thick of it?

"Which is why I need to teach you both the death verse," Lewin proclaimed, suddenly gaining back their attention."It's a very simple, yet trickily complex verse which involves contact in seven points on the demon."

"You can touch the demon on these points and recite the verse in any order as long as you end with 'Shi' directly in the heart," Lewin started, pointing to where his own heart was."But if you touch them in a specific order, it can effectively weaken them to make hitting the other points much easier. If you get at leasts a couple of these points in the correct order, you can still weaken them slightly. Enacting the last point before Shi will always bring them to a paralyzed state where they are practically unable to move."

"The order to most effectively weaken them starts here." Lewin pointed two fingers to his forehead."Recite 'Sir'." He then pointed to his upper left arm."Braso." His right arm."Deed." Left leg."Crus." Right leg."Dno." His back."Selg. This one has to be right on the spinal cord." Finally his heart."And Shi, right where their heart is. You can weaken them other ways, but nothing will effectively kill them except for this death verse unless you know what type of demon they were in the past."

Bon had it memorized instantly."We should get into contact with Shima, right? Do you think he'll know they're coming?"

"It depends on his relationship with Pride." Lewin sat back down in contemplation."And if she's keeping him close like Okumura said, then it may be hard to even get in contact with him. But he may have information we need."

"The only chance we'll have is talking to him when he's working like I did yesterday," Yukio responded, then slowly looking at Bon and Lewin.

Yeah, that wouldn't work.

"You're thinking something mean, aren't you?" Lewin pouted.

"I think I should be the one to talk to Shima," Yukio started, already a firm protest on Bon's lips which he had to cut off."I know you want to talk to him, Suguro, but you and Lewin wouldn't fit in there. You'd be picked out instantly. Plus, you look really pale. Did you get injured fighting Envy?"

Bon lightly grasp his hurt arm."Yeah." He sighed."Fine. I get it. We'll let you go talk to Shima."

"There's something here you can look into anyways. The report should be coming in soon."

"What is it?" Lewin was suddenly much more enthusiastic."What happened?"

Yukio pushed his glasses up, looking away."Another dead exorcist. It looks like this case is riddled in blood."  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Story Created Demon(s)
> 
> File 106: Kukyo  
> Low to High Level  
> Excessively experiencing a specific emotion causes these demons to take the form of a human. They can manipulate Machiavellian words but cannot use them in full sentences. The Kukyo's past demonic form dictates its power level.


	5. The Duty of One

_Was Shima nervous about being called into Mephisto's office? Yes, of course he was. Would he outwardly show his nervousness? Yes, of course he would. Really, he couldn't help it. Well, a smile and some laughter should hopefully cover everything up or at least ease the tension._

_The last time he had seen Mephisto one on one like this was back when he was spying on the Illuminati for him. It had been almost two years now and Shima was somewhat of a free agent. He was finishing up school, had gotten his Knight and Tamer licenses in that time, and was finally enjoying the rose colored school life he had been hoping for._

_Well, it was a bit more grey than he wanted to admit, but he would just have to deal with it._

_Hesitantly, Shima knocked on Mephisto's door and waited patiently to enter. His butler, Belial, opened the door for Shima who quietly entered._

_"Shima, welcome!" Mephisto greeted him as excitable as always."You came here so quick!"_

_Shima gave him a sheepish laugh."Well, I had nothing else to do. I was surprised you wanted to talk to me!"_

_"It has been awhile since we've spoken like this," Mephisto noted."We don't exactly have much of a working relationship anymore. How has school been without all the sneaking around, Shima?"_

_"Ah..." Shima looked off, rubbing the back of his neck."It's been alright." He laughed."Definitely a lot slower than before! Sucks that I can't sneak out of class anymore!"_

_Mephisto smiled back at him, amused."Well, your skills certainly aren't meant for school. I hope you haven't gotten too rusty during your time off."_

_"Eh?" Shima blinked."Are you giving me another mission?"_

_"The Order wants you working for them full time," Mephisto declared suddenly, shocking Shima."They have spy's, but none of them are as effective or last as long as you have. Your work with the Illuminati was exceptional. So they asked me to recruit you now that you are almost of age."_

_"Of age?" Shima questioned._

_"Your 18th birthday is in a couple weeks, isn't it?"_

_"Yeah..."_

_"After you're officially 18, they want to start training to send you out on missions," Mephisto explained."But this is different than what you did with the Illuminati. You'll have to drop out of school and go off to various locations undercover on missions that may take years to complete. You'll work through me, unless you're outside the country, but all your orders are coming straight from the Order."_

_Shima's eyes widened at Mephisto's words."I'll have to drop out of school? So I won't be going to cram school anymore either?"_

_"Correct!"_

_As Shima thought about it, didn't it sound perfect? Shima didn't like school anyways, so this was finally his chance to get away from all the boring, pointless school work he hated so much. He would finally be totally active in the field just like he had always wanted._

_But it was too perfect."What about my friends here?" he asked, sweating slightly._

_"You can't tell them anything, of course" Mephisto explained, just as Shima thought."Not that you're leaving, where you're going, and you can't contact them during a mission. It would be bad for both you and them if they knew more than they needed to."_

_Shima looked off."I can't even tell them I'm leaving, huh..."_

_Mephisto gave him a knowing smile."I can give you some time to think about it if you want."_

_"No, that's fine. I'll do it."_

_"Really?"_

_"Yeah." Shima nodded."It's about time for us all to go our own ways. Okumura-sensei already left and I'm sure the day Bon graduates he'll follow Lightning. It's better I do this now before we all start making plans. I just have one request."_

_Mephisto raised an eyebrow."What is it?"_

_"Let me throw the biggest, awesomest birthday party ever," Shima declared with a grin."It'll also be my going away party, after all!"_

_Mephisto grinned back at him."Of course! It'll be a night you'll never forget!"_   
  


* * *

  
  
Shima blinked, his bleary eyes slowly waking up along with him. He could already tell his bedhead was going to be bad as he checked the time. God, it was already midday. He stayed up way to late last night working and drinking and all he had gotten in return were dreams of the past.

It was all Yukio's fault for showing up in Otaru. He couldn't stop dreaming about back then because of it and now Lewin and Bon were coming to Otaru as well? God, it was all a mess. He really hoped Yukio would be kind to him and spare him the awkward and surely painful reunion.

But, of course, that couldn't be his first priority.

"Arisu, Lady Tsubaki is calling for you," one of the workers came into Shima's room almost instantly to inform him.

"Okay," Shima responded with a groan, stretching himself out and sitting up to prepare to start the day. The worker left Shima to dress in peace which he did so languidly, head still throbbing from last night.

As Yukio had noticed last night, he did look completely different. His hair was back to its original color and he had grown it out a bit longer just for the purpose of slicking it back. His clothes, too, looked like something straight out of a yakuza movie or like something a host would wear. It was a wonder how Yukio had recognized him in the first place.

Shima knocked on the wood frame of Lady Tsubaki's screen door once he was presentable and waited for her to allow him inside. Her haunting voice allowed him in and Shima tentatively slid the door open and stepped inside.

There was another person inside the room, which shocked Shima. A tall man in his thirties wearing an old fashioned suit stared at Shima alongside Lady Tsubaki. For a second he feared he had been found out.

"Perfect timing, Kenji," Lady Tsubaki purred."I would like you to meet my brother, Sakamoto Takumi or Avarice."

_Avarice...? Isn't that..._

"Pleasure to meet you," Shima smiled, sticking out his hand.

"Likewise."

_One of the Kukyo._

He shook Shima's hand with a calm expression and oddly gentlemanly voice. That was really the only way to describe it.

"Well, brother?" Lady Tsubaki smiled."You see that I wasn't joking around. This power is real."

"Yes, I see..." Avarice mumbled, clenching his hand in front of him."What a wonderful gift it is you have given me. I'll cherish it."

"I suspected you would be the first to arrive." Lady Tsubaki took a drag out of her pipe."Why don't you experience the full extent of your power on my dear Kenji? He's quite fun."

"No, that's fine," he responded back humbly."I would rather find someone to test the full extent of these powers myself. I assume our other siblings will be arriving later tonight?"

"Yes." Lady Tsubaki's eyes thinned."Don't think of starting anything, Avarice."

"The rarity of a good depends on the quantity of it," he cited."It's true that in the past I would've attempted to prevent you from giving our siblings this wonderful power, but I've changed. You wont see me here again, I promise."

"I'll hold you to that."

"I'm more surprised you were willing to give this over to us." Avarice turned around, giving Shima a side glance before making for the door he had just entered."You're ideals have changed again, it seems."

And with that, he left Shima and Lady Tsubaki alone. Shima, at that point, had barely an idea of what just happened. While trying to act completely clueless, he made sure Yamantaka's scent was on him as he left.

Lady Tsubaki clicked her tongue."Always after the last word, that greedy bastard."

"I wasn't aware you had siblings, milady," he spoke now that Avarice's demanding presence was gone.

"Yes, I have quite a few," she responded, a rather far off look on her face as she took another drag from her pipe."You'll be meeting some of them tonight, Kenji, so I want you to prepare yourself for our special guests."

"Of course," Shima smiled at her."Should I prepare my room for guests too?" Boy was that quite a thing to say.

"Yes, just in case." Lady Tsubaki smiled back at Shima."They have quite obscure tastes, you see. I have no way of knowing how they'll react."

"Alright, I'll keep that in mind."

"Oh, and Kenji?"

"Yes, milady?" Shima questioned back, wishing that was all from her. He needed to report to the Order as quickly as possible before he lost Avarice's scent.

"Who were you with yesterday?" she asked, and Shima's blood ran cold.

No, no, it was fine. It wasn't like Yukio was parading around in his exorcist gear. There was no way she knew.

"When yesterday?" Shima asked.

"When I called one of the busboys to find you," Lady Tsubaki explained and Shima's fear grew."You looked quite flustered when you came back. The busboy said you two seemed familiar. He had thrown you off guard, which I've tired very hard to do in our time together. I thought it was impossible."

"He's, ah..." Oh god, he wasn't ready for this."A friend from high school. I didn't realize he was here in Otaru on vacation, so I was surprised."

"A friend from high school...?" Lady Tsubaki raised a delicately trimmed eyebrow."You should've introduced me. Will he be staying here much longer?"

"Just a couple more days." What was he trying to do, drag Yukio into this mess? But the words had just come out of his mouth before he could stop them. He was thinking this all up on the fly, after all. Like, who would come to Otaru on vacation alone?

"Then bring him here tonight," Lady Tsubaki casually ordered."I have a feeling he'll make things interesting."

Oh yeah, things'll be interesting alright. But maybe this was Shima's chance. Three Kukyo was too much for just him to take on in the first place, but if Yukio, Bon, and Lewin were around, it would be a piece of cake.

"I don't have his number, but he did tell me where he was staying," Shima explained."Would it be alright if I left to contact him?"

Lady Tsubaki hummed around her pipe in deep contemplation. She didn't like Shima leaving, not when he knew so much about her. He was one of her weaknesses.

"Is he nearby?"

"Yes."

"Then that's fine," she decided."But be quick about it."

"I will."

Yeah, he would make this work.  
  


* * *

  
  
As Yukio promised, the files from headquarters came through with details on the death of an exorcist named Tanaka who was originally investigating Yukio's case. Lewin was still trying to pin down the connection between his demon, the Baba Yaga, and Shima's case and was hoping the files would help him in classifying exactly what type of demon they were dealing with.

It could be that the demon which killed Tanaka had absolutely nothing to do with the Kukyo and the abnormally stronger demons. If that was they case, then they had just hit another dead end until Yukio talked further with Shima. Still, that would leave the demon Yukio was chasing a complete mystery. But the coincidence was too strong to be just that.

So while Yukio was out picking up extra supplies by the train station—since they were in desperate need of more holy water—Lewin looked through the files on Tanaka's death on the small table in the center of the room.

Bon sat across from him, typing away as best he could with one hand because he didn't want to strain his other arm too much while it was only just beginning to heal. It was a serene calm and a smooth rhythm they had gotten into ever since Bon became his assistant. By now, they didn't think twice about it.

"What are you doing, Bon?" Lewin asked, curious as to what he was working on so intently.

"Writing up a report for Konekomaru on the Kukyo," Bon explained, not looking up."Since I didn't have time to set up my vid cam for him, I'm basically giving him a step-by-step on what happened and what they looked like. I'll tell him what you told us about the death verse too."

"I see! You're such a people pleaser, Ryuji," Lewin teased."I would've had a lot of fun using that app of his if all that knowledge wasn't already stored up here." Lewin tapped his head.

"Me too," Bon said, because under Lewin, he had learned enough about demons to not need to go searching through books to classify one anymore."I hope new exorcists and people like Rin are getting some use out of it. I know Konekomaru is making me do this as punishment, but I really do want to see it succeed."

"Then I guess you're lucky to be tagging along with me to get all this information!"

"Yeah." There was a small, intimate smile on Bon's face that Lewin noted."I'm really lucky."

Lewin looked back down at his tablet which he was reading the report off of, setting his mind back to what he was originally intending to speak to Bon about.

"Okumura said the demon came down from Wakkanai, correct?"

"Yeah," Bon responded."It's been spotted following the coastline all the way down here."

"So either it's a coastal demon or a water demon..." Lewin mumbled away."But if it resided in the water it wouldn't have been able to kill Tanaka. He was killed high up near the coast, so why the water?"

"What did you find, Master?" Bon asked, seeing he was clearly struggling with something. Though Bon wasn't much help since Lewin knew more than him, he could at least help him direct his thoughts in the right direction.

"All the innards of the exorcist were sucked out of his body through his mouth," Lewin began. Bon shuddered slightly at the thought."All that was left was his skin and skeleton. Along with the stretch marks around his mouth, there were suction marks on his neck like that of an octopus, but much wider."

"So you think it has something to do with the water?" Bon asked."Like some possessed octopus or a Kraken? I've never heard of a demon that...sucks out peoples innards, though."

"That's because there isn't any. At least not any that are active. There is a passive type demon who fits the description..." At his admission, Lewin's eyes slowly began to widen."Right! Of course! It all makes sense now!"

"Master?" Bon questioned, looking up at him as he shot out of his seat with his arms up in the air in some victory pose.

Lewin gave Bon a wild grin."Don't worry, Ryuji. This is all easier than you think. Now let's—"

He paused there, frown suddenly on his face as he stared down at Bon. His assistant gave him a questioning look as he bent down, leaning over the table to get a closer look at Bon's face. Bon's nerves spiked as their faces were inches apart.

"What's wrong?" Bon asked, trying to dispel the mood.

Lewin moved his hand, a single finger reaching out and poking Bon's cheek. He waited a second, then smiled."Let's go to the hot springs."

"Huh?!" Bon was utterly dumbfounded by his sudden words."The hot springs?! But you never want to go to the hot springs! And what about the case?"

"We'll talk on the way."

"And my arm?"

"We'll just dip our feet in!" Lewin hauled Bon up and away from his computer."C'mon, you're always telling me to go. Let's make it a date."

Bon struggled for a second, then sighed."Alright, I get it. So tell me about this demon."

Grabbing his things, Bon and Lewin left the inn to seek out the hot springs. The air was chillingly cold as Lewin led the way, clearly seeing a place in their short time in Otaru.

"Have you ever heard of a Gurges?" Lewin asked as they started moving.

Bon wracked his brain, not coming up with anything specific."It sounds familiar...A passive type?"

"Correct! Good job! I doubt you ever covered them extensively in cram school. There's not many of them and they tend to just roam in a small area at set times, sucking up any trash along the way like a Roomba except with long tubes coming out of it to pick up the waste."

Bon frowned, an odd image in his head. Lewin kept walking down the same street, the view of the Otaru canal a wondrous sight in the winter.

Lewin turned to Bon with a smile."And can you guess what it does with that trash?"

"If it has any part in what's going on with the other demons, it must somehow turn the trash it collects into some kind of enhancer for other demons."

"Correct!" Lewin cheered."Or, at least, that's my theory. No one's ever actually seen a Gurges leave it's set area. It's simply unheard of. Oh, we're here."

Lewin paused outside the hot springs, then promptly turning and entering the building. Bon was still shocked he was so willing to enter a hot springs in the first place that he could barely keep up. By the time he recovered and entered the building, Lewin was done talking to the worker at the counter.

"Thank you," he nodded to her, giving Bon a glance."C'mon, Ryuji."

They started towards the small open hot spring used for just resting and dipping your feet in. Lewin continued talking."The tentacle marks on a Gurges are very distinctive, a set of perfectly circular rings. The report showed similar markings on the exorcists neck, so I can't be mistaken."

Lewin picked out a spot, sitting down on the wooden bench placed there. Bon followed his lead, taking off his shoes and sinking his toes into the steamy water before they got too cold. There were smooth stones at the bottom which felt good along the soles of his worn feet.

"The question now is how this demon is giving other demons this enhanced intelligence and power. Of course, I could be wrong to say the Gurges is connected, but there's no other demon who could do such a thing and we know so little about the Gurges, so it seems most plausible. But why is it acting now? And where is it planning on going?"

"We'll have to wait and see if Shima knows anything," Bon responded, growing more relaxed."We could also contact the exorcists up in Wakkanai. They should've been keeping tabs on the Gurges."

"With the lack of exorcists recently, it's doubtful. A passive type suddenly turning aggressive isn't something anyone would think possible."

Lewin stopped there, wondering idly what he was doing. He turned to Bon, watching his face morph into a more relaxed pallor, some of the usual creases smoothing out and a bit of color finally coming back.

"How's your arm?" he asked nonchalantly.

"It only hurts if I move it too much. I should be fine by tomorrow."

"Good."

But Lewin still knew it was more logical for him to do most of the fighting until it healed completely. Lewin, in a simple act, moved closer to Bon so their sides were now pressed against one another. He was on Bon's left so his hurt arm wouldn't be effected by the contact.

Bon stiffened for a brief second, but quickly relaxed into the touch. Still, his heart was hammering out of control. He wondered if he should say anything.

Lewin, of course, beat him to it."It's nice here in the winter, isn't it?"

"Yeah," was all Bon could sputter back.

"The snow's not bad and the cold gives couples an excuse to cuddle for warmth." At those words, Lewin inched his foot behind Bon's in the water and linked their legs together. He peaked at Bon's reddening face and a small chuckle brushed past his lips."I'm lucky to be able to spend time here with my wifey."

Bon, unable to get any words past his lips, just attempted to keep down the blush rising across his face. Lewin always knew what to say in times like these to make him completely speechless. And all with that stupid, teasing grin on his face. Bon still couldn't read it properly.

They stayed like that for a bit longer, but soon their feet were growing winkled and their body temperature warmer and they knew they needed to get out. Still, it was a slow and silent process.

Bon shivered slightly as his feet left the water and were back into his shoes.

"Here, wear this." Lewin offered him his scarf."I don't want you catching a cold on top of your injury."

Bon accepted the article with a small smile. He had forgotten his back at the inn in his hurry. Somehow, it seemed like Lewin was becoming more aware of the people around him. Or maybe it was just because they had been together for so long now.

Lewin got his own shoes on and stood up."You go out first. I need to check something."

Bon didn't question him, leaving first and deciding to wait for him outside while watching the snow fall. Lewin did these sorts of things often, talking to workers and looking around stores to satisfy his curiosity. It was one of the reasons Bon knew his Machiavellian word had to do with finding answers.

In his daze, he accidentally knocked into a man passing by the hot springs. He stumbled slightly, hissing as some of the impact pressed against his wound.

"Hey, you," the man called out to him and Bon wondered what he would be having to deal with." _Follow me_."

From inside, Lewin finished surveying the place, finally content. By the end of this case, maybe he would take Bon back here and they could enjoy one of the private facilities. It had been nonstop work for months now, so it was probably about time for a break.

In a better mood, Lewin exited the building and looked for Bon. He expected to see his assistant waiting for him with rosy cheeks and a smokey breath, but there was no one there.

"...Ryuji?"  
  


* * *

  
  
Shima was just planning on going inside the inn Yukio was staying in when he saw the man walking down the street heading his way. In one had was a black bag that looked to be filled with a lot of canisters. Shima assumed it was holy water.

"Hey, Okumura," he greeted casually with a small wave.

The others face grew sour, then confused all in one go."What are you doing here, Shima? I thought Lady Tsubaki wouldn't let you leave."

"She let me go because she wants me to bring you by tonight."

Yukio paused, turning to Shima."Did she find out I'm an exorcist?"

"No." Shima shook his head."I wouldn't be here if that's the case. If anything, she may think you're an old flame."

"What the hell did you—" Yukio stopped there, not really wanting to know."No, that doesn't matter. C'mon, let's go up to my room and sort this out. Lewin and Bon are waiting."

"Huh? Bon's up there?" Shima looked frightened, for good reason. Yukio saw firsthand how Bon was ready to tear him a new one just this morning."No way. What do I do? Oh god, I'm so dead!"

Yukio walked into the inn, Shima trailing after him rambling hysterically in fear. Yukio was most surprised he was still following him. He probably wanted to see Bon, despite appearances.

"He's knows about your mission and the Kukyo," Yukio told him.

"What?! How?!"

"Lightning told him. As an Arch Knight, he was informed about it but had to keep it top secret. The case they're working on demanded him to know, so that's one less thing to explain to him."

"Oh god..." Shima mumbled, hands gripping his head."He's gonna be _so_ pissed. He never wanted me to be a spy in the first place, and now he hears that I disappeared to be one?! I'm a dead man..."

Yukio couldn't help a the small quirk of his lips at Shima's agony. But as they reached the door to his room, he schooled his expression and opened the door.

"Bon, I'm so sorry! Don't kill me!" Shima wailed, head coming down and his hands clapping together in a sign of peace.

"Stop it," Yukio scolded, looking around the room."They're not here."

"Huh...?" Shima slowly looked up, a small expression of relief on his face.

All their stuff was still skewed out on the table in the center of the room along with their gear. They must've gone to get something to eat, but Yukio wasn't so confident.

He reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone and calling Bon as he put down the bag of things he got from the Sapporo storage. Ringing was heard from the table in the middle of the room and Yukio frowned.

Shima walked closer to Yukio."They didn't tell you where they were going?"

Yukio ignored him, calling Lewin's number which he had, thankfully, gotten earlier that day when they met up. It rang a concerning amount of times before someone picked up.

"Lewin Light speaking."

His tone was uncharacteristically sharp and he sounded out of breath."It's Okumura. Shima's here too. Where are you?"

"Ryuji's missing," was all he said.

"What?!" Shima shouted, listening to everything over Yukio's shoulder. He gave him a dirty look.

"Don't worry, I put a sylph bell on him awhile ago incase something like this ever happened. I suspect one of the Kukyo. They probably heard about what happened to Envy."

"Then let me meet up with you. It may be an ambush."

"No, stay with Shima," Lewin responded."If there were more than one, they would've gotten both of us and not used these underhanded methods. I'll take care of this."

Shima snatched the phone away from Yukio."They can control Machiavellian words, you know!" he said roughly."And with Bon's word and how they've leveled up, it's not going to be as easy as you think!"

"What's bad about Bon's word?"

Shima paused eyes widening."What?! He hasn't told you?!"

"No."

"He's got such a manipulative word and he seriously never told you...?" Shima shook his head, trying to keep it together."Listen, Bon's Machiavellian word is 'follow'. He's the most vulnerable out of all of us right now."

"Because of how the Kukyo are stronger now?" Yukio asked, snatching the phone back and now putting it on speaker.

"I don't know which ones are different, but just don't let them touch you," Shima spoke to Lightning."All they need to do is touch you to learn your word. And they can use it in full sentences now to manipulate you."

"Got it," Lewin responded curtly, cutting the call before they could say anything else.

Shima turned to Yukio, seeing the queasy look on his face and raising a inquisitive eyebrow."What's wrong with you?"

"You expect me to walk into the den full of demons who can manipulate me using my Machiavellian word?" Yukio asked, fingers pinched along his nose.

"Well, there will actually be three of them."

Yukio sighed heavily.

"We're so screwed."  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still having trouble figuring out the type of pronouns (it or s/he) and naming to use for the Kukyo...
> 
> Demons (as filed in the manga)
> 
> File 37: Yamantaka  
> High Level  
> Mysterious Buddhist demons that can appear in Assiah without possessing a material substance in that realm. They are fluids composed of particles known as as the Flame of Gehenna and burn the essence of Gehenna itself.  
> Manga - first appears in Ch. 48. Shima's demon familiar passed down in his family
> 
> File 28: Kraken  
> Mid Level  
> Kin of Egyn, King of Water. This demon possesses long-lived giant squid. It is a gluttonous carnivore that craves flesh and blood, swallowing schools of tuna and attacking passenger boats. It is strong in the sea but largely lacks intelligence.  
> Anime/Manga - After the Kyoto incident with the Impure King, the cram school students are sent on a "vacation" to exorcise a Kraken. Chronologically different in the anime.


	6. Entropy

_Bon knocked on the door to Lewin's home, feeling just as hesitant as he did the first time coming to his place._

_"Come in!" Lewin shouted from the other end._

_Bon opened the door and stepped inside. His eyes widened at the various boxes littering the room, some full of stuff and others in the process of being filled. Lewin was in the middle of it all, packing some of his random trinkets in a large box._

_"Oh, if it isn't Ryuji!" Lewin called with a grin, head popping up to look at him._

_"Are you moving out, master?" Bon asked._

_"Yup!" he hummed."There's no reason for me to be at the Japan branch anymore, so I'm moving back to the Vatican."_

_"You could've asked me for help..." Bon grumbled, moving over to where Lewin was seated and pulling out some of the things he had packed wrongly."So that means you're not gonna quit being an exorcist."_

_"Of course not." Lewin sat back and watched Bon expertly pack his things."Demons are just too interesting!"_

_"Right..." Bon didn't understand his fascination._

_A few more boxes were packed, Bon now taking an active role while Lewin elected to just sitting back and watching him work. There wasn't much else to do at the moment so he zoned out watching the meticulous process. The only thing that kept him centered was Bon occasionally asking him a question and snapping him back into reality._

_The packing continued and Lewin finally took note of Bon's face. It was not an expression he saw often._

_"What about you and the other kids?" Lewin asked suddenly."You gonna continuing being an exorcist?"_

_"Everyone's still planning on being certified."_

_"Really?" Lewin raised an eyebrow."Even that Illuminati spy? I mean, his gigs all up since they were abolished."_

_"Yeah, even Shima. I was surprised, but I guess he has some plan to get stronger and cooler so he can pick up chicks."_

_Lewin laughed."Nice! I wish him luck."_

_"Please don't encourage him, master."_

_Lewin laughed further, tilting his head to catch Bon's eyes. From his position, Lewin's scruffy hair was parted just enough so that one of his wide, green eyes was showing through."And you?" he asked._

_Bon felt like curling up under that gaze. Or maybe it was just the probing that he didn't like, because he didn't have an answer for Lewin._

_"...I don't know." Bon looked away, palms getting sweaty."But since I've gotten this far, it's only right to keep going."_

_"That's no good, Ryuji~" Lewin sat closer to him."People who aren't motivated are always the first to die."_

_"I know. It's not that I don't want to be an exorcist. I just don't know what I want to do anymore." Bon bent down."Ever since I found out Rin was Satan's son and then the whole matter with Shima being an Illuminati spy, I've just been lost. I'm not sure why I want to be an exorcist."_

_"Geez, you think too much, Ryuji," Lewin responded."You might as well start thinking about why you wanted to be my assistant! Why did you follow me around even if I hurt people? Why did you decide to stay a friend to someone who is Satan's child? Why follow people on all these suicide missions?"_

_Bon looked up at Lewin, the other just grinning at him._

_"Haha, you're making a funny face," Lewin chuckled, sitting up slightly and fishing through his pockets."How about I make things a little easier for you?" From his pocket, Lewin pulled out a key and held it out to Bon._

_"...What's this?" Bon asked, confused._

_"I thought you were smarter, Ryuji. It's a key."_

_"I know," Bon snapped."I mean why are you giving it to me? Where does it lead to?"_

_"It's a key that will take you to my place at Vatican Headquarters."_

_Bon's eyes widened, suddenly realizing what Lewin was saying. His whole body clammed up."The Vatican...? How did you even..."_

_Lewin pulled the key back, catching Bon's eyes."If you don't feel like you have the balls to be an exorcist anymore, then don't take it. But..." Lewin held the key back out to him."If want to find out who you really are, if you want to take that risk and continue being an exorcist, then take the key, Ryuji."_

_Bon stared at Lewin, then looked down at the key. Heart beating wildly out of control, he took it._   
  


* * *

  
  
"I mean, I know we're screwed, but as long as Lightning and Bon are on standby we should be fine, right?" Shima asked, Yukio's sudden nerves making him more nervous."Plus, it's not like we're exorcising them all tonight. From what Lady Tsubaki told me, they should be here a couple days. We have time to think up a proper plan."

"I'm talking about my Machiavellian word, Shima," Yukio snapped back."It's Hold."

Shima eyes widened."No, no, no. You've gotta be kidding me, right?!"

Yukio just shook his head."You said there should be three of them there tonight, right?"

"Well, from what I heard from your conversation with Lewin it sounds like it. They killed Envy, right?" Yukio nodded."So that means Envy and Sloth are dead and Wrath's still under watch. I met Avarice this morning and from his conversation with Lady Tsubaki, it sounds like he wont show tonight. So that leaves Lady Tsubaki, Lust, and Gluttony."

The more Shima spoke, the more the situation seemed to worsen. The pairing of Lust and the Machiavellian word "Hold" did not bode well. The implications of what was to come were clear, yet neither wanted to say it aloud.

"And you're sure both Lust and Gluttony will be there?" Yukio asked instead."Envy was killed last night so there's a possibility Pride doesn't know and thinks they're still showing up with one of the other two."

"But it sounded like she was inviting all her 'siblings' to come. She wants to give them all the same powers she got. And isn't it better if we just assume they'll all be there anyways?"

Yukio pinched the bridge of his nose."And we still don't know which one took Suguru..."

"It'll be fine!" Shima brushed off with a shaky smile that definitely said he didn't believe his own words."We just gotta make sure you're not discovered. You need a solid backstory."

Yukio sighed, moving over to the table in the center of the room and sitting down. He pushed some of the others things out of the way in the process. Shima naturally followed suit.

"What did you tell Lady Tsubaki about me?"  
  


* * *

  
  
_It was another day at Vatican Headquarters for Bon. It had been almost two years now that he was coming here to take care of Lewin. He had become less of an assistant and more of a housekeeper, not that he wasn't before._

_But now, with Yukio and Shima gone and the end of school soon approaching, Bon didn't have the time to stay Lewin's housekeeper all the time. He wasn't sure what he was going to do yet after school either. He had already passed his Dragoon and Aria exams like he wanted to, so the plan from there should just be to start working for the Japan branch, but whenever Bon thought about it, a sour taste entered his mouth._

_It was clear enough to him that he didn't just want to seamlessly begin work for the Japan branch like everyone else. He wanted something different. Something outside of what was normal. What was to be expected. In this sense, he was like Yukio and Shima. He was going to chase after what he wanted, even if he wasn't sure yet what that was. The only thing he was sure of was that Lewin, his master, was the path to figuring that out._

_There was nothing he was more sure of._

_"Are you sure you're not just being controlled by your Machiavellian word?" Konekomaru had asked him way back when Bon started traveling to Vatican Headquarters._

_Bon understood his reasoning, too. Why would anyone work for someone who just had them working like a maid? Especially with how serious Bon was. But for Bon, his instincts had brought him to Lewin. Sure, towards the beginning, Bon may have used his word to convince himself to keep working for Lewin, that surely something good would come out of it, but once Bon realized that he was right, he had no need for it anyone. He was just idiotic enough to follow him._

_"I'm home!" Lewin shouted boisterously like he always did. The clean entrance was swiftly ruined by Lewin throwing things around without care."Oh, Ryuji's here!"_

_"Welcome back, Master," Bon greeted, walking over to pick up and organize his things."You said you wanted me to come over. Don't tell me you forgot."_

_"Right, right!" Lewin hummed, laying down haphazardly on his old couch and throwing some papers on the coffee table across from him."Those are for you."_

_Bon finished tidying up and picked up the papers with curiosity. One look at the front page told him everything he needed to know."Transfer papers? I'm allowed to transfer to the Vatican?"_

_"Yup!" Lewin grinned."I put in a good word for you and pulled a few strings. It's not like you weren't well known before, so getting the papers and getting them signed in the right spots was no biggie. We'll also be official partners."_

_Bon couldn't help the small smile that adorned his face. He had just been thinking to talk to Lewin about this, but it seemed he was already one step ahead of him. Bon wasn't sure if he had wanted them to keeping working together but this was confirmation enough._

_"So you won't be working with the Paladin anymore?" Bon asked._

_"Nope. I haven't since I transferred, anyways," Lewin responded offhandedly."You'll have me all to yourself, Ryuji!"_

_Bon wanted to snap at him but instead he focused his energy into not having his face turn into a tomato."I can really transfer?"_

_"Well, do you want to?" Lewin asked him instead."Isn't that what you're searching for? What you want to do?"_

_"Yeah."_

_Bon knew he wanted to continue working with Lewin. He knew that if he did, they would be running all over the world exorcizing demons. It wouldn't be like when Lewin was at the Japan branch and he could still interact with his friends. When he graduated, it would be the final goodbye for a long while._

_And Lewin, of course, acted like it was no big deal. To him, the answer was always the option which would enable him to learn more. He sought out knowledge and left behind emotion and through him, Bon had learned that there was nothing wrong with that at times. But maybe he could also teach Lewin that there was nothing wrong with giving into emotion either. Maybe he could let him experience that._

_"Alright, I'll do it. But give me some time to talk to my family before I sign anything."_

_"Of course." Lewin smiled at him."Welcome to the Vatican, Ryuji!"_

_Bon let out a small chuckle, then jumping as Lewin threw his socks and poncho onto the floor."Hey! Stop making a mess!"_   
  


* * *

  
  
The alias they went with was Oshigiri Yuki. The cutesy first name was a bit odd but Shima told him a name closer to his own would be easier to respond and react to. If he needed this alias for any longer then they would've gone with something else to detach him more and better differentiate like Shima's alias, but, hopefully, this would be a one time thing.

The story was that they were friends back in high school. "Maybe even crushed on each other a little bit," Shima had said, which Yukio quickly shot down. "Yuki" had come to Otaru for a short vacation to get away from work stress. He had been gifted some tickets to one of the famous hot springs here and decided to make use of them. He had heard people talking about The Red Blossom so he decided to check it out for himself because he had nothing better to do and ended up reuniting with Shima there.

The story wasn't too out there and easy enough to remember. The hard part of all this was having Yukio remember who Shima was. He had developed a well thought out alias when working with Lady Tsubaki, so if Yukio misstepped and any point, it would mean they were both screwed. At least Yukio had a solid memory because of all his Aria training.

"But it's still better to practice," Shima explained."So from here on call me Kenji and I'll call you Yuki."

"Should we be on first name basis?"

"Milady would be more confused if we weren't. Like I said, just play along with her. The more you appease her the less suspicion she'll turn towards you."

Yukio was astounded by how much Shima had changed. His attitude and personality seemed to remain the same, but he had matured in every other aspect. He was serious about his mission and had plenty of experience which Yukio had never been aware of before. It was only four years since he had seen him, yet he had racked up all this experience. It made Yukio wonder exactly what Shima had been doing these past years.

"How long have you been on this mission?" Yukio asked.

"After I left True Cross, I didn't some extra training the rest of the year or so before they sent me out, so I'd say around two years now? Maybe a year and a half."

How long had it been since Shima had heard someone call him by his real name? No, Yukio couldn't make himself sympathize over Shima's situation. He asked for this, wanted it just as much as he wanted to work as a double agent for the Illuminati.

Still, Yukio wondered if he got homesick like Yukio did occasionally when he first left True Cross. He was sure if he asked, though, Shima would just smile and laugh at him. Maybe he would lie and maybe that lie would be saying he got homesick. Shima was just that twisted. They both were for abandoning everyone back at cram school without even a word.

"Where did you train?" Yukio asked, purely curious about where Shima gained all these skills. Though he bet most of them just came with time and influence from Lady Tsubaki.

"What's this?" Shima smiled at him."Does Yuki want to know more about me? That makes me happy!"

Yukio gave him a disgusted look."Never mind. I could care less."

Shima laughed."You haven't changed at all, Yuki! Still so funny."

"Only you would think that."

"Well, now that we've got all that covered..." Shima stood up, stretching a bit.

"Are you leaving?"

"No way!" Shima looked down at him with a horrified expression."I can't have you walk through there tonight looking like you did yesterday."

"I didn't even where my exorcist uniform last night," Yukio responded."What was the problem?"

"You looked too stiff," Shima countered, pulling Yukio up from the floor."It's cold outside but it's plenty warm inside. The Red Blossom is a place meant to help people relax and enjoy a drink and some good company. You'll look awkward if you walk in there looking like a salaryman. Is this your suitcase?"

Shima pointed to the clean black one in the corner and Yukio nodded, walking over with him to search through his clothes. He did bring casual and classy clothes in case he wasn't just exorcising a demon. Time had taught him to be prepared for any scenario turning these solo missions.

Shima hummed while looking through his clothes, picking out a few things and handing them to Yukio."The pants you're wearing now are fine. You just need a different shirt then you should be ready to go."

Shima stared at him, waiting.

"You want me to put it on now?" Yukio asked.

"Yeah. I've gotta fix you up after you put it on."

Yukio stared at the shirt, sighed, and did as Shima said. He wouldn't admit it, but his taste in fashion had become atrocious. He had continuously worn his exorcist uniform to the point where it was rare he wore regular clothes. Because of that, any sense of fashion he had went out the window. So any new clothes he bought were now just neutral colors and simple styles that he wouldn't be able to mess up no matter what combination he chose to wear.

But he still had his pride, so having Shima tell him he looked like some old salaryman the other day was a horrible feeling. Making him help him dress was even worse.

With anger on the mind, Yukio shucked off his shirt and tossed it near his suitcase, pulling on the button up. Shima couldn't be more clueless to his inner turmoil, just enjoying the sight casually. He was simpleminded when it came to physicality's. A nice body was his ultimate weakness.

Shima snapped out of his daze as Yukio reached the top of his shirt."Leave the top couple buttons open," he said.

Yukio looked up at him, then dropped his hands. It was awkward to leave himself so exposed, but he supposed there were worse things he had to wear.

"And for the tie..." Shima slipped his own tie off his neck and around Yukio's, tying it himself while Yukio stood and watched.

"Shima, I can do that myself," he tried.

Shima paused, pointing a finger gun at Yukio and pretending to shoot him."And bang, we're exposed."

Yukio was confused for a second, then realizing his mistake."Right, Kenji." He ran the word through his mind a couple more times in an attempt to remember.

"Geez, Yuki, just can't forget good ol' Shima, can you?"

Yukio clicked his tongue."It's not exactly something easy to remember."

Shima laughed, finishing his tie. It hung loosely below the collar of his shirt in a causal, almost sloppy manner. He was now beginning to look similar to how Shima looked.

Shima stepped back, looking him up in down in a way that made Yukio grow hot."Good, good," he murmured."The eyepatch makes you look sexy, too. Do you have any contacts you could wear?"

"They're uncomfortable, but if you think it'll make the look better, I can wear them."

"You'll be okay either way." Shima grinned at him, stepping closer and sliding his hands over Yukio's hips. In a quick motion, he moved them back and squeezed Yukio's ass.

"Hey!" Yukio snapped, quickly pushing away from him with a glare."You damn pervert."

"That's payback for yesterday," Shima responded, not sorry in the slightest."You gotta get used to the contact, because people at The Red Blossom don't hold back. Me included."

"Great. Just one more thing to worry about."  
  


* * *

  
  
Sitting next to Ryuji on the train on their way to Otaru, Lewin had never had such a deep and complicated feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had wondered what, exactly, had made such a change occur.

Empathy was the thing that made people feel like this. Lewin thought he never had any, but he must be wrong if he felt like this. Lewin could discard it before, but now it seemed impossible. So this was what people meant when they would say "I can't stop thinking about you." Interesting.

His assistant Bon's little quest to open up his heart seemed to have succeeded and by no cause of his own. This was entirely Lewin's undoing.

At that time, on the bus to Otaru, Lewin had realized for the first time he felt empathy. It had started with laughter. Joy was natural and easy, as they bickered over food as usual. Then came panic. People running away, dead bodies, and Bon deciding to confront a murderer. After that was fear which grew to a shattering degree as Bon took on the force of one of a Kukyo head on and tore up his arm in response. Then a subtle and bitter rage that caused Lewin ditch potential information they could've needed. After that came a steady calm and now Lewin, with Bon leaning against him sleeping on the train, was back to joy. He may even call it love.

So this was the wonders of a "rollercoaster of emotions". Lewin never wanted to experience it again, because it meant Bon was somehow in danger, but yet again he had entered a state of fear at the hands of Bon.

Kidnapping, huh? That was certainly new. His Ryuji wasn't typically this popular, as most of the attention was usually drawn towards Lewin during these times, but he guessed with the Kukyo in play and Bon's Machiavellian word it would make sense for something like this to happen.

"Geez, you're supposed to be the one running around looking for me, Ryuji," Lewin mumbled as he tracked Bon via sylph bell.

He stopped when he reached the warehouses running along the seaside. Walking past the various buildings with an expanding sense of dread, Lewin came to the end of the port and paused. It was an odd scene before him. He almost thought nothing was wrong with how casual everything was.

There sat Bon at a small outdoor table across from what Lewin could only assume was one of the Kukyo. It almost felt like they were out for coffee.

Lewin, one known for disturbing the peace, walked forward with a smile."Hello, I'm here to take Ryuji home!"  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lewin uses a sylph bell on Shima in the manga, if that helps spark the memory of anyone who's forgotten what that is


	7. Love and Lust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOOOOO my head canon of Yukio wearing an eyepatch!!! Why must you forsake me so!!!

"This is a bit more troublesome than I expected," the Kukyo grumbled as Bon followed without struggle behind him."I assumed a word like 'follow' may be fun to experiment with but it's more limited than expected. Using it in a sentence or not doesn't change a thing."

The demon led them past a series of warehouses, only stopping once they reached the end. In front of him, Bon saw a small table with two chairs placed right next to the water crashing on the ledge below. It seemed to be a spot workers would come to relax.

"Like right now," the demon continued talking."I want you to sit in this chair so we can have a nice little chat, but I can't exactly command you by saying 'Follow me and sit here' because it has the conjunction 'and' which makes it a compound sentence and only simple sentences can be used with Machiavellian words. Hm...How about _follow me to this chair_."

Bon only moved to stand directly in front of the chair. His eyes hardened at the demons actions. He was just toying with him, using him as an experiment. It felt terrible.

"As I thought..." The demon's face scrunched, then lit up."I got it! _Follow my lead with the chair next to you_."

And Bon did exactly that, following the demon's movements perfectly as he sat down in the chair across from him.

" _Follow me_ ," the demon then said again."I assume saying 'follow my lead' will mean you will repeat everything I do, which wouldn't be very pleasant for conversation, so we'll keep things like this for now. But boy is this fun! It's like solving a puzzle!"

Bon just continued to stare him down. This demon currently had control over him, so he didn't want to speak his mind and find himself in the ocean. Right now, he was teetering on the edge of death. For now, he just needed to buy enough time for Lewin to come find him.

"Alright, well, I might as well introduce myself." The demon rolled its neck."My Japanese name Sakamoto Takumi, but you may know me as Avarice, a Kukyo. What might your name be, Mr. Exorcist?"

Bon's eyes widened at his words. _How did he know?_

"That little ring around your neck gives it all away," Avarice responded, pointing to his own neck."I assume that means your partner will be coming here to get you soon."

Bon's eyes hardened."If you knew that, then why bring me here?"

"I'm a bit greedy, you see. And when it comes to greed, the harder it is to obtain, the more you want it, right? I felt like this may be a rewarding challenge, so indulge me a bit. All I'm asking for is your name. As you can see, I have no intention of harming you and a Kukyo can't harm someone just by knowing their name."

Bon looked away, deciding that giving in may prolong things."Suguru Ryuji."

"A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Suguru." Avarice bowed slightly towards him."If I could trouble you with one more question, that would be lovely."

"What's the question?"

Avarice tilted himself forward ever so slightly."Would you consider yourself a greedy person?"

That was certainly not a word Bon has ever used to describe himself. The question that the demon posed, while simple, was a lot more complex when Bon actually put some thought into it.

"I...wouldn't say I am."

"So you have no desires?" Avarice asked, Bon growing confused."You never feel an intense desire for something? Greed isn't just about obtaining, it's about desiring. You don't have to obtain what you desire to be greedy."

"I still wouldn't call myself greedy," Bon responded.

"Why's that?"

"Because I don't know what I want. I can't feel greed if I don't even know what I desire."

"Ah, I guess that's one way to look at it..." Avarice pulled his head back, leaning back in his chair."I guess I want too much to understand that. But that's the big problem I'm experiencing right now. I thought this new power many help me figure things out, but it seems to be a bust as well."

Bon remained silent, watching the demon pull forward again with a conflicted look. Whether Mephisto, Lucifer, or this demon in front of him now, human-like demons always rubbed him wrong. They just seemed too _human_.

"That phrase 'Money doesn't buy happiness', don't you think they're really talking about greed?" Avarice started."With money you can give into greed and buy anything you want. And when you have everything you want, then what else is left? Live long enough like me and the only thing you can look forward to is the future. Maybe something yet to be made will spark my maddening greed once again. That's my hope, at least. Just something baseless..."

Avarice trailed off, looking to his right, yet nothing was there. But it seemed he had sensed something. Maybe it was Lewin. If so, Bon needed to be ready.

"It looks like your partner will be arriving soon. That was quick," Avarice noted."Then again, the future is always just a second away."

And sure enough, as Avarice said, Lewin arrived. He assessed the situation, then smiled.

"Hello, I'm here to take Ryuji home!"  
  


* * *

  
  
A few sylph flew around Lewin in a threatening manner. Avarice, looking at them, didn't have any response to the threat.

"Nice to meet you, exorcist," Avarice responded with a small bow in his direction."I assume you're Mr. Suguru's partner?"

"Yup! Lewin Light at your service."

"Sakamoto Takumi," he responded."But you can also call me Avarice."

"I was curious which of the seven we know of took Ryuji." Lewin stared at the demon, then smiled."Or should I say five now?"

Avarice's eyes widened slightly."So another one of my siblings passed away?"

"You knew about the first?" Bon questioned.

"I like to check in on my siblings occasionally. It's fun." Avarice looked off."So the two of you killed another one of them...Who was it this time?"

"Envy."

"That makes sense. If she was coming over here for the same reason as I was, of course it would make sense that she would make a scene. She never could handle crowded places." Avarice tapped his finger twice against his chin."Then if you killed her...I'm assuming you know of our death verse and my new power?"

"Yeah, so don't make this more difficult and just hand over Ryuji," Lewin responded."And while you're at it, tell us where you got your powers from."

"No need to act so greedy." Avarice put his hands up."I'm more the passive type. I'll let your partner go, but I would like the chance to have a fair bout with you so that I can leave freely. This is just a bit for greed from me."

"A fair bout?"

"Let me ask you, Mr. Lewin Light, are you a greedy person?" Avarice asked.

Lewin didn't need to put much thought into his answer."Yeah," he responded easily.

Bon was just so astounded by the conversation happening before him. Lewin was always an odd one, but the casual nature of their conversation still astounded him. He was growing more weary about exorcising Avarice. He just seemed too human. It wasn't just appearance anymore. He wasn't anything like Envy.

"Not even a bit of hesitation!" Avarice chuckled."Thank you for the answer. Since you were kind enough to talk to a demon like me, I'll let Mr. Suguro go."

And suddenly Bon's body lost its tension and he could move again. Quickly, he moved away from the demon and towards Lewin's side. Human-like or not, he was still a demon.

"Are you okay, Ryuji?" Lewin asked, checking him over briefly.

"Just a bit cold. The sea breeze is strong," Bon responded.

"Yeah, it is," Lewin noted."Let's wrap this up quickly."

Lewin gave his full attention back to Avarice, taking in his stance and build and realizing he really was the passive type. There was not a single part of him that seemed hostile, which made him pause.

"To make this more fair, I'll tell you that knowing my Machiavellian word wont help you win this bout, so I would give up on trying to make contact with me," Lewin told him, gauging the demons reaction.

"Oh, that's fine. I wasn't planning on trying to anyways. I've already gotten bored with this power of mine." Avarice turned in his chair, standing up and moving away from the table."Let's just say it wasn't what I was hoping for. Not worth the effort, is how I would put it."

"That's just because you haven't learned how to properly use it yet," Lewin responded offhandedly."Though I must say, you don't seem greedy at all! It's interesting."

"Is that so?" Avarice asked."Before I became a Kukyo, I was a Salamander. Back then, I realized that the more flames I stored in my body the stronger I became. So, I was on an endless search for fire. Sometimes I purposefully set fire to things just to watch it grow so I could consume more. But when I turned into a Kukyo, I didn't feel like seeking strength anymore, because there was so much more to take in as a 'human' that I was overwhelmed. First it was money, then just useless things until there was nothing but time left. But you can't monopolize time."

"A Salamander..." Lewin thought off.

It made sense to Bon. Salamanders were known to be friendly towards people. So Avarice's current actions made sense based on his original constitution. Bon, more than anything, was surprised that the demon remembered his past form. He would need to make sure to tell Konekomaru that.

"A couple years ago, I transferred to the exorcists Japan Branch to do some investigating," Lewin started, catching both peoples attention."I taught a class while there and decided to give everyone a bit of insight on how to simplify long aria's and magic circles. Basically, I told them to make friends with demons."

Avarice had a bit of surprise written over his face, but otherwise kept silent and waited for Lewin to continue.

"You're quite funny and you didn't hurt Ryuji, so I thought it would be fun to make friends with you," Lewin said with a grin."Do you want to make a contract with me?"

"Huh?!" Bon shouted, turning to Lewin with an exasperated expression. He couldn't be serious.

Even Avarice looked positively shocked by Lewin proposal. The look quickly turned into amusement."I never would've guessed you would ask to form a contract with me," Avarice said."With me kidnapping your partner, I assumed you would exorcise me the moment you met me."

"I changed my mind," was all Lewin responded.

Avarice stared him down, slowly edging back into his original composure."I wont form a contract with you, but if Mr. Suguro would like to form one with me, I'll oblige him."

"M-Me?!" Bon blinked dumbly, surprised yet again by another turn of events. This high level demon wanted to form a contract with him?

"Yes." Avarice nodded."If you would like to, Mr. Suguro."

"Why not with me?" Lewin butt in, just to sate his curiosity.

"I don't like greedy people."

Lewin couldn't hold back the stream of laughter that followed his response. He was practically wheezing as he gave Bon an affectionate pat on the back, pushing him towards the demon."You heard him, Ryuji!"

Bon, still processing everything, looked between the two then moved towards Avarice. This might be the first time in all history of a human making a contract with such a strikingly human-like demon. He was extremely nervous.

"Please take good care of me from here on," Avarice said with a bow.

Bon, unsure of himself, bowed back."L-Likewise."

Lewin cackled in the background which made Bon embarrassed and irritated. The Kukyo, Avarice, soon disappeared, now another strong demon Bon had under his belt.

Really, it all happened so strangely that he didn't know what to think. All Bon could do was stand there dumbly, staring off at where Avarice once stood.

"Don't look so shocked, Ryuji." Lewin walked up beside him, looking up at Bon with a grin."This isn't the first time a demon's wanted a contract with you."

"I know, but..." Bon watched the waves crash against the shore, shivering at the breeze."Maybe it's because he looked human or because of how he acted, but it reminds me of the first time I was asked to form a contract. Back then, I was still convinced all demons were bad and couldn't be trusted. That they were simply creatures to be used to fight. I guess he just reminded me of what demons really are."

"Don't go falling in love with a demon now," Lewin responded with a chuckle.

Bon snapped his head to Lewin."I-I'm not!" He sighed, head in hand.

"Ryuji..." Lewin stood in front of him, gently grabbing Bon's wrist and pulling his hand off his face. The two stared at each other for an impossibly long second until Lewin gave Bon a soft smile."Don't scare me like that again."

Bon looked away, slightly embarrassed by their distance."I'm sorry..."

"Look." Lewin pulled Bon's wrist forward so his hand rested over his heart. Bon's eyes widened."It feels so uncomfortable beating out of control like this. I can't seem to calm it down either. What a nuisance."

Bon's whole body grew hot at the feeling of Lewin heart beating rapidly against his hand. His brain felt like it had stopped working and his mouth tried to catch up. To say something to keep this moment alive. To live this forever.

"M-Me too," he stuttered back, grabbing Lewin's free hand and putting it up to his own heart."It wont stop."

Bon wanted Lewin to understand what this meant. He wanted this odd, callous, eccentric man to understand that it was possible for him to experience everything else other people did. All those emotions that gave life its thrill. How could he not, with his heart beating so out of control?

"You're right," Lewin responded, fingers curling. His other hand left Bon's wrist and ever so slowly, both his arms wrapped themselves around Bon's waist. His gentle caress was so delicate it made Bon shiver and grow hot.

Lewin held him close with a tight pressure that made Bon feel like he was encapsulated by love. He, in that moment, felt like someone truly precious to Lewin. Like someone he wanted to protect, love, and stay with forever. So Bon leaned into it, closing his eyes and hugging Lewin back.

Lewin's head rubbed against his chest." _Ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump_..." Lewin murmured."What a nice sound. It's beating so loudly for me, Ryuji."

"Of course it is," Bon responded."I-I love you too much for it not to."

Lewin let out a soft chuckle."I love you too." He pulled back and looked up at Bon, large eyes peering at him through his thick locks."In a way I've never loved anything else before."

Bon couldn't help but smile like a fool."What a weird way of putting it."

"I don't know any other way to say it." A extra loud wave crashed against the dock, pulling Lewin's gaze towards it."Let's go back to the hotel before we both catch colds."

Bon looked back at the ocean, then back to Lewin with a smile."Yeah, let's go."  
  


* * *

  
  
Was Shima nervous? Yes. Would he let it show? No. Was he laughing a lot more than normal despite his efforts? Maybe.

His nerves were justified, though. There were still a number of uncertainties about this inevitable meeting that could blow the whole thing up and destroy any plans he has of living past 30. He was only just able to start drinking and now his life was at risk? If he could at least die in Lady Tsubaki's lap then maybe he would be okay with it. Though Yukio would probably chase him down in the afterlife. Actually, that might not be that bad either.

Shima quickly shook his head. Nope. No. Bad thoughts.

Shima knocked on the door to Lady Tsubaki's chambers, waiting silently for the demon to let him inside.

"Come in, Kenji."

He stepped inside, trying not to act stiff as he waited by the door for Lady Tsubaki. The kimono she wore was clearly meant to show off along with all her other extravagant jewelry. From her head to her toes, she was beautiful. Shima gulped as her eyes met his.

"Nervous, are we?" she noted instantly.

"Well, they're your siblings. Of course I'm nervous."

She gave him a small chuckle, standing up and smoothing her clothes out."And that friend of yours is coming too, correct?" Though her tone was light, her eyes showed no mercy if Shima dared go against her.

"Yeah, Yuki said he would come. He had some places he wanted to go, so he should arrive in a few hours."

"Perfect. That'll be just the time those animals grow bored," Lady Tsubaki mumbled to herself, though Shima picked up on it. It looked like inwardly she didn't care for her siblings."Well then, enough chatter. Let's go downstairs to greet our guests."

"Yes, milady."

Lady Tsubaki linked her arm in his and Shima led her down the steps to The Red Blossom. It was as lively as ever, people chatting and laughing to one another in booths and next to the bar. The two new demons in the bar were quite the obvious pair, even to Shima.

A man and a women in appearance, the women had a face mask and casual clothing on while the man was dressed flashily, almost like a host but probably. Shima didn't know what it was, but it seemed the three made eye contact as soon as Lady Tsubaki hit the floor. It was like they were connected in some type of way and could sense one another.

There was a slight moment of tension before it all disappeared into pleasantries. Shima saw it like a fitting facade people would put on before meeting family.

"Tsubaki! It's so good to see you!" The man went up to her, arms spread wide as he gave her a familiar hug."It's been decades!"

"Good to see you too, brother," Tsubaki responded, slight bite in her words as her perfect appearance was ruined by his hugging."It seems you have changed your appearance yet again. A man this time, right?"

"Yup." He backed away with a smile."I'm going by Hishiro while I'm in Japan. Boring ol' Chane still hasn't changed her name, though."

"There's no point when I barely use it in the first place," the female Kukyo, Chane, responded. She looked over to Tsubaki."Hello, Tsubaki."

"It's nice to see you're still alive. I've prepared plenty of delicious food, so why don't we go sit down?" Tsubaki offered, turning to lead them deeper into the establishment."I've reserved a private spot for you."

Shima still couldn't pin down which was Lust and which was Gluttony just yet. Appearances and personality meant nothing to these Kukyo, so he couldn't just start making assumptions without any evidence. For now, he would just wait.

They made their way to one of the circular booths deep inside the building next to the performance stage. Hishiro and Chane instantly slipped into the booth, with Chane closer to the center, and Lady Tsubaki elegantly sat down on the other side, moving in slightly and then looking up to Shima.

"Kenji, come sit next to me."

Shima did as she asked, now feeling the eyes of two demons on him."Is he your new boy toy or something, Tsubaki?" Hishiro asked brashly, looking Shima up and down with an unreadable expression. It was like he was deciding whether to like him or not.

"He's my companion, Arisu Kenji," Lady Tsubaki responded, rubbing a hand over Shima's thigh in a way that made him sweat."He's knows all about us, so I decided to keep him around for this meeting." She put a hand up before either could protest."He's not an exorcist. I told him myself, because it was dull not having someone to mess with."

"If you think it's okay..." Hishiro backed off.

"What about Avarice and Envy?" Chane asked."I thought you said everyone would be meeting."

"I met Avarice earlier today. He refused to stay any longer than needed," Lady Tsubaki explained."And Envy...well, she's always been a short fuse. I wouldn't be surprised if she got caught into some trouble on the way here."

"I was hoping to see Avarice, since he always has news about the Vatican." She looked off."I haven't seen him since he told me about Sum Yue's (Sloth) death, after all."

"That damn traitor Sal (Wrath)! I'll kill him if I ever meet him" HIshiro seethed."Hurry up and get me a drink before I pop a fuse!"

"Of course." Lady Tsubaki motioned to one of the servers on standby a good distance away who promptly scurried off at her notice."Either way, I didn't call you here just to catch up."

"You got stronger, right?" Chane asked."I didn't even think that was possible."

"Neither did I, but it was so easy. Hishiro's already been given the same power."

"What?!" Hishiro looked at her questioningly."How? I didn't feel anything!"

"The enhanced power is apparently spread through the touch of similar demons. So only a Kukyo can enhance another Kukyo."

Shima silently made note of what she was saying, yet did nothing more. Now was not the time to draw attention to himself. When Yukio arrived, though, that may be a different story, because the man couldn't keep a poker face to save his life.

"Then here ya go, Chane!" Hishiro bonked her on the head, earning a scowl from the women in response.

"Like I talked to you about earlier, we now only need to make contact with a human to learn their word. And we can also use them in full sentences," Lady Tsubaki explained, turning to Shima."Kenji, give them your hand."

He did as she said, putting his hands out so they could touch them. The pairs eyes widened as his word somehow entered their conscious.

"No way..." Hishiro mumbled in awe."This is amazing!"

"Like this, we can't possibly be compared to humans again," Lady Tsubaki spoke to them with a secretive smile."So, why don't you try it out?"

And the two demons did with the utmost glee. Shima had never laughed so much in his life, even with how much Lady Tsubaki loved to make him, especially recently. They ate, drank, and laughed along with Shima in a way that made him excited to shut them up and exorcise them in due time.

Not yet, though. He had to wait just a bit longer and then this mission would finally be over. Maybe he would take a short vacation somewhere. Perhaps he would even ask Yukio to come along with him. The man looked worn out as it was. He probably needed it. He had gotten sexier again too. It was so unfair.

One of the servers came up to him, leaning forward to whisper into his ear."A man said he was looking for you, Kenji. Shall I tell him to come in or...?"

And just when he was thinking of him."Lady Tsubaki, Yuki's here," Shima turned and told her.

"Great! More entertainment!" she said in a beckoning voice and the server rushed off to bring him over.

"Who's this?" Hishiro asked, already reasonably drunk."Another human?"

"He's Kenji's supposed 'friend'," Lady Tsubaki said, clearly suggesting otherwise.

"Ooh, I love this kinda stuff!" Hishiro clapped happily. Chane next to him just continued eating in a calm flow, face mask discarded under her chin. Just by the action Shima was mostly convinced she was Gluttony.

Yukio made his entrance then, a shaky look on his face which Shima thought wasn't too out of place. He looked exactly as stunning as he had left him. He had even taken his glasses off which added even more appeal.

"He's totally smitten."

"I told you."

Shima snapped back into reality, realizing they were talking about him. He smiled wryly, directing himself towards Yukio."Yuki, this is my boss, Lady Tsubaki, and her siblings Chane and Hishiro." Shima pointed to them all and everything.

"Nice to meet you," Yukio responded, even giving them a small bow which was way to formal for the setting.

Hishiro just laughed at the action."How stiff! C'mon, sit down next to me! I'll buy you a drink."

As Yukio sat down, another server came up, now to address Lady Tsubaki."Milady, it's almost time for your performance. They're requesting you backstage."

"Performance?" Hishiro questioned."Are you gonna sing for us, Tsubaki?"

She smiled at him secretively, pushing against Shima's thigh. He got the message and moved out of the booth to let her out. She stood elegantly and pressed against his shoulder with a whisper."Keep them entertained for me, would you?"

Shima nodded.

She then turned to the table."Please enjoy my performance to your hearts content, and Yuki." He glanced up at her with a clearly nervous expression."I want to hear all about your relationship with Kenji when I get back."

"A-Ah, of course," he responded stiffly, watching wearily as she left to get ready.

"So what's the story?" Hishiro asked."High school sweethearts? Childhood friends?"

"We're just friends, Hishiro," Shima laughed shakily at him."C'mon, give me a break."

"No way!" Hishiro responded with a pout."There's gotta be something more or it's no fun, right, Chane?!"

"Foods with many different components, textures, and spices are certainly appealing," Chane said, voice almost a mumble as she stared off at the food in front of her. It was like she was in a trance."But sometimes just plain, everyday food can be equally filling."

"Oh, here it comes..." Hishiro mumbled, clearing his throat and speaking in unison with her.

"It all depends on the person, and I'm a person who loves it all!"

Hishiro cackled directly afterwords."You never change, Chane! Always such a bore!"

"And you're as flashy as ever, brother," Chane responded, going back to her food with sparkling eyes.

"Well, I still refuse to believe such a blatant lie!" Hishiro declared, turning and eyeing the two of them."You two are too much! So how about this...Yuki, why don't you go and _hold Kenji_ for me? Show him what he's missing out on!"

Yukio's eyes widened as he was compelled forward, getting out of the booth and making his way over to Shima. "H-Huh?"

Though it was a bit of an awkward situation, Shima was honestly relieved that the Kukyo's power worked even with his fake name. He didn't understand the logic behind it but was thankful it worked or else their cover would've been blown.

Yukio, for his part, moved towards Shima and carefully wrapped his arms around him in a very literal sense of the word "hold".

"G-Gah! Seriously, Hishiro, cut it out!" Shima played along with a whine, trying to pull apart from Yukio but really just moving over so he would have some space to sit down.

"No way!" the other cooed back at him."I'm gonna make you realize your feelings and send you two lovers off to bed together tonight if it's the last thing I do!"

Shima and Yukio both inwardly panicked, wondering what kind of beast they managed to wake up.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Demons (as filed in the manga)
> 
> File 24: Salamander  
> Low to Mid Level  
> Kin of Iblis, King of Fire. A type of fire elemental that resemble reptiles. They appear where there are traces of fire and can store and protect flame. They're surprisingly affectionate toward people.  
> Anime/Manga - can often be seen being used by unnamed exorcists


	8. The Final Plan

**The Story of the Byakko**

Upon the roadside of a small shrine, a Byakko in the form of a snake watched over the land. It watched as people raised the land around it into plentiful rice fields. The land was fertile and yielded plenty of crop to satisfy the whole village. No harm ever befell the field, because the snake was watching it. It warded off any bad demons and watched the field grow plentiful rice year after year.

The Byakko entered no agreements, nor heard any pleas from the people of the village. It liked to watch the smiles on the villagers faces as their rice grew just as beautiful as it did the year before. It liked knowing it could feed them and make them happy.

The villagers, baffled by their rice crop, realized that a guardian deity was protecting them when, amongst the thicket of the forest next to the crop, they came across a small shrine. To show their thanks to the snake, the began leaving offerings at the shrine and cleaned it daily. They prayed at it and held festivals in hopes of another good year of harvest.

So the snake continued to protect the rice field. It protected the field as the villagers left offerings. It protected the field as the oldest villagers grew old and died. It protected the field as festivals were held in its praise. It protected the field as a statue of a fox was made in its honor.

The villagers were smiling and the snake loved the villagers' smiles. The smiles the snake was able to put on the villagers' faces were a symbol of its pride, so it didn't matter if the villagers mistook it for a fox Byakko. The statue made the villagers smile, so the snake would take pride in it as well.

The rice fields grew and prospered as the snake continued to watch over them. Festivals were held more often and more offerings were given as the villagers praised a fox that was a snake. The snake was gifted fox food, fox masks were made in its honor, and charms with the foxes name were passed around.

One year, the snake decided not to protect the field. It watched as the villagers frowned, grew wary, and cried. They came to the shrine and pleaded with a fox to help them and asked what they should do to earn its protection once again.

"Look," the snake had thought."I can even make them frown and cry." When the snake didn't protect the fields, the villagers frowned and cried, so the snake took pride in that as well.

It took pride in the villagers' pleading, pain, anger, and resentment. It had caused all these emotions, so it took pride in them.

It was their fault for worshipping a fox.  
  


* * *

  
  
_"You're really leaving?"_

_Yukio jumped, turning around to see Shura standing in the doorway, arms crossed across her chest._

_"Shura..." Yukio mumbled."Who told you?"_

_"Mephisto."_

_"Of course he did..."_

_"What about Rin? And Shiemi?" Shura asked, stepping inside and looking down at the two bags he was packing."Haven't you left them without warning enough times?"_

_"They'll understand," Yukio responded, turning back to his things to continue packing."We're not kids anymore. Even if I didn't graduate early, I would still leave."_

_"At least tell them," Shura attempted to reason with him."They wont go chasing after you again, but they'll be upset if you don't tell them again. Especially Rin. You know how he hates it when you hide things from him."_

_"I know," Yukio responded, some bite in his voice as he slammed a jar of herbs—used for his bullets—into one of his duffle bags."But I need to leave, Shura. Rin's..." Yukio sighed, pushing up his glasses and continuing to pack."It doesn't matter. Either way, I'm going. You can go tell him if you want, but I doubt I'll still be here by the time he arrives."_

_"You still have to make everything so difficult, huh..." Shura mumbled to herself."Fine, I get it. I hope you find what you're looking for, Yukio."_

_Yukio didn't respond, waiting until he heard the door shut behind her before sighing. He stopped packing for a second, resting back on his heels and looking out at nothing._

_It would no doubt be a lonely journey, but it was a journey Yukio needed to take. A journey to look at himself, really look at himself._

_A journey to love himself once again._   
  


* * *

  
  
Yukio and Shima barely made it out of that mess of a night. However, whether a good thing or bad, Hishiro had succeeded in getting them into bed together. Obviously Yukio and Shima weren't going to actually sleep together, but the tension from the night was still heavy in the room.

They were in Shima's own quarters a few doors down from Lady Tsubaki, which meant it would be alright if the talked freely. Hishiro and Chane had left The Red Blossom to enjoy the rest of their night in Otaru while Lady Tsubaki finished work for the night and retired in her own quarters with Shima's aid.

Lady Tsubaki was as chilling and vile as Yukio expected. Yet, somehow—maybe it was because Shima mentioned it—Lady Tsubaki was insecure. You wouldn't be able to tell normally, because Lady Tsubaki held herself with arrogance and authority, but hadn't Yukio acted exactly like that before?

His insecurities and jealousy towards his brother showed lots of the same habits as Lady Tsubaki was allocating. Yukio didn't like to compare himself to a demon, but there was no other reason for him recognizing such insecurity. Though the emotion that turned her into a Kukyo was pride, maybe she had grown insecurity after turning into a human or maybe, like Yukio, her pride was elevated by her insecurities.

Either way, Yukio didn't want to talk to her more than he had to. Thankfully, he only talked about Shima with her and didn't have to divulge into his own past. Her fixation on Shima was understandable. People like them—filled with pride and insecurities—liked to hang around people who wouldn't threaten that, so Shima—who did nothing to hide his weakness—was the perfect person to deal with.

Even now, as Yukio recognized his own self, he still found he could gravitate towards Shima.

"Perhaps it's because you're so simple..." Yukio mumbled to himself as he sat on the futon pushed next to Shima's.

"What did you say?" Shima asked, already sprawled out on his own futon and looking like he was ready to pass out.

Yukio looked back at him, scowling."It's too early to sleep. We still haven't talked about our next step."

Shima whined."I want to sleep! I'm tired! Can't we just do this in the morning?"

"We can't," Yukio droned back."I'm leaving early before any of them can catch me."

Shima huffed, propping himself up on one arm."Fine. But don't think I'm gonna stay awake with you droning on about plans and fights."

Yukio glared back at Shima, thinking for a second about how he could keep the whiny, childish man awake. He idly wondered how much sleep he had been getting.

Making a decision, Yukio moved himself fully on the futon and grabbed Shima's free hand. The other jolted at the feeling, looking down and then back up at Yukio. He tried and failed to yank his hand free.

"What are you doing?" Shima asked with a slight panic."Are you trying to act cool or something? It's not working, you know."

"I'll break your hand if you fall asleep," Yukio responded menacingly, squeezing Shima's hand tight to make his threat known.

"No, no, no, that's not possible, right?" Shima asked, clearly growing nervous."Right, Okumura? Only Bon would have that kinda gorilla strength. You didn't suddenly get really buff, did you?"

Yukio smiled at him."Care to find out?"

"Nope! I'm good! I'll stay awake, I promise! Okay?!"

"Good." Yukio stopped squeezing his hand, but still kept it grasp in his."Based on what I saw tonight, Chane is clearly Gluttony which means Hishiro would be Lust."

"With how much food she was eating, that was pretty obvious," Shima responded."They were talking about the other Kukyo before you arrived, and it looks like they don't know Envy died. If that kidnapper who took Bon was Avarice, as long as Lightning didn't make a scene, they'll never find out. But if word gets out about Envy, they'll scatter. I've been keeping Lady Tsubaki away from the television, but I can't keep all three in check."

"They ran it on the news this morning and in the afternoon," Yukio told him."I doubt they'll run it again tomorrow or anytime tonight. Worse case is that Gluttony and Lust find out, come back here to tell Lady Tsubaki and you have to fight them before they're able to leave."

"That sounds terrible..." Shima shivered."You guys will at least be staking this place out from afar, right? I can send out a smaller demon if I need help or something."

"I'll be watching, but Lightning and Suguru have probably already left Otaru."

Shima's face snapped towards Yukio's, eyes wide."What did you stay?!"  
  


* * *

  
  
Lewin and Bon arrived back at the hotel with Yukio waiting for them anxiously. He sprung up as they entered, walking over to greet them wearily.

"Grab all the blankets you can find, Okumura!" Lewin demanded the minute they made eye contact."I'm freezing! Hokkaido in the winter sure is cold!"

"We shouldn't have left without layering up first," Bon grumbled back.

"What happened?!" Yukio asked, thrown off by how calm and casual they were acting."Last I heard Bon was kidnapped. Was it really a Kukyo?"

"Yeah. Ryuji formed a contract with it."

"He what?!"

"Okumura, where are those blankets?" Lewin asked instead."I'm seriously freezing. Are you doing alright, Ryuji? How does your arm feel? Need some pain meds or something?"

"I should probably take some, since I just ate," Bon responded, sitting down at the small table where he sat just hours ago, all his various research still in place. He, at this moment, really wished the table was a kotetsu instead.

"Here." Yukio gave the blankets he found to Lewin. _They seriously went for lunch after?!_ , he thought to himself."Now explain. You said Suguru made a contract with one of the Kukyo? Is that even possible?"

"They're still demons, you know," Lewin tutted, draping a few blankets over Bon and then wrapping the rest around himself as Bon fished out the painkillers and took one."Which means they're not all bad. Sure, he kidnapped Ryuji, but he didn't have any bad intentions."

"Which Kukyo was it?"

"Avarice," Bon responded."Which means there are only three left, that we know of."

"And I'm supposed to meet those three tonight..." Yukio grumbled, running a hand over his face."This isn't gonna go well."

"What do you mean you're meeting them?" Bon asked with confusion.

"Oh, right, I forgot to tell you that your little spy friend stopped by," Lewin spoke, just remembering."So that's what he wanted you for."

"Shima was here?!" Bon suddenly shot up."When?! That bastard! When I see him next, I'm gonna—!"

"Calm down. He left a long time ago." Yukio sighed."Where do I start..."

He explained to them their meeting and the shoddy plan they came up with in the limited time they had. Bon was thankfully able to calm down enough to listen, still inwardly promising to get in a least one punch on Shima when this was all over.

"You better strike fast if you want to make sure you get them all before they scatter. Maybe you could even make a contract with one of them," Lewin hummed."And don't be too intimidated by their newfound power. It might be strong, but they have no idea how to use it yet. Right now, they're just like toddlers trying to take their first steps."

"All the more reason to get them all now." Yukio nodded in agreement, as much as he hated agreeing with anything Lewin said.

"Well, good luck!"

"Why are you making it sound like you're not helping?" Yukio asked, brow twitching slightly.

"We still have to exorcise the demon you were sent here to deal with, remember?" Lewin responded."It's probably not in Otaru anymore, so Ryuji and I are gonna chase after it."

"We've got a pretty good idea on what we're dealing with. That reminds me..." Bon turned to Lewin."We should call the Wakkanai office, Master. That way we'll know for sure if it's the Gurges from there or not."

"Right!" Lewin leaned over, grabbing his phone."You're so smart, Ryuji! As expected of my boyfriend!"

Bon felt his whole body jolt and ears burn at his words, and Yukio's stare out of the corner of his eye only made it worse."Ugh...Be a bit more aware, would you?!" he snapped while Lewin just laughed and dialed a number on his phone.

"Hello! Arch Knight Lewin Light here. Can you patch me through to the Wakkanai office?"

Bon tried to avoid Yukio's probing stare but knew it was impossible."You're dating?" he asked him.

"Yeah..." Bon responded, rubbing the back of his neck."Though it only happened recently."

"Should I say congratulations?"

"Please don't." Bon put his head in his hands."This is embarrassing enough. I just know everyone's gonna make fun of me. I already have a bad enough reputation at the Vatican."

Yukio couldn't help a small chuckle and a few reassuring words."Well, it's not too surprising. I'm just surprised Lewin fell in love with you. He doesn't seem to be interested in anything but demons and pissing people off. At least that's the impression I get."

"No, it's pretty spot on. He's a pretty one track minded, selfish guy."

"It probably has something to do with his Machiavellian word."

"That's what I think too. He's never told me it, though."

Yukio raised a questioning brow."Why not just ask?"

"If I do, I know he would tell me because he doesn't care about stuff like that," Bon explained."I want him to tell me on his own. I know that's weird, but that's just how it is."

"Kenji would've been yelling nonsense at you if he heard that, no doubt," Yukio responded."I guess that's just another thing we have in common. We like to know everything."

"Kenji?"

"Shima's alias," Yukio explained."I'm trying to get used to calling him Kenji before I meet him tonight."

"Right, Shima..." Bon looked at Yukio."Can you make sure to slug him for me? Just because I wont be able to meet him doesn't mean I'll let him off easy. Tell him to call Konekomaru too, so he can chew him out like he did me."

"Got it."

"I see, I see," Lewin nodded along with a phone up to his ear, catching their attention."It's been missing for quite some time, huh? How curious. Well, thank you so much for the information! And you don't have to worry too much, we'll take care of the Gurges!"

Lewin promptly cut the call and Bon wondered how freaked out the people on the other line now were. He didn't exactly leave them with any idea of what was going on.

"Looks like my theory was correct, Ryuji!" He looked to him with a large grin."We'll be hunting down a Gurges! I'm so excited to find out what this demon is really capable of! We gotta prepare to leave immediately!"

"We don't even know where it is yet, Lightning," Bon responded to him with a sigh."Also, we need to contact the main branch to tell them about the coal tars. If they're really draining peoples energy like we suspect, then they could be dangerous if left alone. We need a large squad of exorcists to exorcise them before they migrate out of Hokkaido. It would be a nightmare if they made it into Tokyo."

"That it!" Lewin snapped, shooting up in his seat."The Gurges has been follow the coast down south, so of course it's aiming to leave Hokkaido!"

Bon's eyes widened."We have to stop it before it leaves Hokkaido then." He grabbed his own phone."I'll ask headquarters to put out a notice to all the offices along the coast to look out for it, then we'll start heading south immediately."

"And I'll deal with the coal tars here," Yukio continued."We can assume they've swarmed all of Northern Hokkaido if the demon came down from Wakkanai. And I was sent to Otaru the same day you encountered some in Tomakomai, so we can assume other demons are helping them travel. We may even need to contact branches in Russia and Korea to tell them to be on alert of any strange acting demons. From here on, all of Hokkaido is a danger zone for potentially mid to high level demons"

"Wait on sending anyone into Otaru too," Lewin butted in."If the Kukyo find out exorcists are moving around here, they'll scatter."

"Of course."

"By the way, Okumura," Lewin called.

"What?" Yukio responded, not meaning to sound as snappy as he did.

"If you're going for a more casual look, you should probably take your glasses off."

"I don't want to hear that from you!"  
  


* * *

  
  
"Seriously?" Shima mumbled to himself with a groan."So it'll just be the two of us against three Kukyo? Ahh, this sucks. I don't wanna do this."

"Stop whining," Yukio snapped back."Oh, that reminds me."

He lifted up his free hand and punched Shima hard across the face with satisfaction.

"What the hell?!" Shima clutched the side of his face, scowling up at Yukio."What was that for, Okumura?!"

"That was from Bon," Yukio responded with a smile."He also told me to tell you to call Konekomaru when you get the chance."

"Such a brute," Shima mumbled."Why do I get punched but you get away scot-free? I should call Rin so he can beat your ass again."

Yukio scoffed."I'd like to see him try."

Shima was silent for a second. Yukio had almost thought he had fallen asleep, but he began speaking shortly after."And is what you said about Lightning and Bon true?"

Yukio saw how serious Shima now was. He always tended to be when concerning his friend. It made Yukio wonder how Shima would act if he cared about _him_ that much instead. Perhaps it was a bit of jealousy on his part too.

"Yeah, he said it himself," Yukio responded."They're dating now."

Shima let out a low hum. It was a thoughtful sound that drawled on until he spoke again."How lucky..."

That's when Yukio realized, with wide eyes, that Shima probably hadn't dated anyone yet. He talked about it plenty in school and always flirted with any girl he saw, but he never ended up dating anyone. And then he went straight into training and then to The Red Blossom where the only people he interacted with were Lady Tsubaki—a demon—and customers and staff. For a person who wanted to date so badly, it must be a tough situation.

Well, it wasn't like Yukio had dated anyone either. Though he was a different case from Shima, because he wasn't looking for someone to date. That's what he thought, at least, but he knew at some point his heart would get so lonely it would be desperate enough to marry even a demon. He already felt it caving towards Shima's own loneliness, wanting to soothe both their souls.

And was that so bad? That was one of the points of companionship, anyways. Why not just embrace it? What was stopping him before all this, at the Illuminati, is now gone. He's made peace with himself and grew familiar with Shima's personality before they both left. So what was stopping him now?

Resisting the urge to sigh, Yukio laid back on his futon, staring up at the wooden ceiling above him."What has Lady Tsubaki made you do, Shima?" he asked in a small voice, almost a whisper.

Shima remained silent for far too long, then gave Yukio a small, pathetic chuckle. The tension was growing too much for him."Nothing I didn't like, if that's what you're wondering."

Yukio let the silence persist after that, wondering what Shima's words meant. He squeezed his hand all the same, wondering if it helped any. But he knew Shima could only stand so much tension and that he needed to dispel it if they were going to keep working together. So, he did it in the best way he knew how.

"You lost your virginity to a demon, didn't you?"

"Don't say it!" Shima wailed in response, covering his face with his free hand as best he could while his body squirmed."It's already embarrassing enough!"

Yukio's eyes widened and his face turned to Shima's."Don't tell me she pegged you as well?"

"Shut up! She didn't, you hear me?! She didn't! I still have some of my dignity, okay?!" Shima wailed further, trying to move away from Yukio, but his grip on his hand was firm."Let's talk about something else, yeah? We gotta plan for how we're gonna deal with the Kukyo, remember? Let's plan instead!"

Yukio couldn't help the genuine smile that wrapped around his lips. He might've even laughed if he didn't remember that they were still currently in enemy territory and he was very much weaponless.

"Alright, I'll leave it alone for now." Yukio turned back to looking at the ceiling."You're the Kukyo expert, Shima, so do you have any ideas?"

"That sounded sarcastic."

"It wasn't," Yukio responded."You're the one who was trained to take them down. Plus you've been staying with one for almost two years now. You must have some idea of what we should do to exorcise them."

Shima thought, humming slightly."Do you know their death verse?"

"Yeah, Lightning taught me."

"Alright, well if you think you can execute it properly, then our main focus needs to be on stopping them from speaking, for obvious reasons," Shima started, sitting up further so now they were both sitting on their futons across from one another, their hands still clasped together."So to counteract their power, we either need to hit them quick and hard before they can get a word out, or stop them from speaking and then battle them. There are demons that can stop people from talking, but I don't have any."

"Me neither."

"I was hoping you did," Shima whined, free hand rubbing over his face."Fine, we can still do this. I could probably use Yamantaka's flames to stop them from talking, or we could use a less...pleasant method."

"And they wont regenerate after such an injury?" Yukio asked.

"Well, as long as it's not life threatening. I've seen milady bleed plenty of times and it takes her just as long as a regular human to heal."

"I see..."

"But that's only if we really have to," Shima continued."Hopefully the flames will work and as long as we fight them two verse one, they can't control both of us."

"Then we'll need to isolate them," Yukio said."But it'll be hard to get them all without alerting the others. If we exorcise one of them and wait too long, the other two will notice and scatter or regroup and take us both down. We need to exorcise the first one and still give ourselves enough time to prep for the next battle. There's also the problem of you leaving Lady Tsubaki's side, so perhaps we should make her our first target."

"No, we have to separate the other two first," Shima rejected."They've been sticking close together since they got here, so isolating them will be harder than Lady Tsubaki. We'll pick one of them."

Yukio found Shima's adamant objection a bit odd, but his reasoning was sound. He knew better than to assume Shima held an attachment towards the pride Kukyo. Though a women, Shima had no feelings towards demons. Perhaps he wanted to leave her for last to finally _literally_ rid himself of his demons.

"We also need to group up as soon as possible, so I think the best plan would be for me to lure either Lust or Gluttony outside before they go to bed so we can finish one off there and then move to the next who's probably looking for their companion. From there we'll finish off Lady Tsubaki who has been blissfully unaware of what's been happening."

Yukio thought it over."It doesn't sound bad...You could even lure the other away from The Red Blossom if they don't realize the other is gone." Yukio thought further to the nights events and how Lust and Gluttony acted."I would suggest bringing Hishiro out first. Chane seemed pretty sharp, like she would be harder to lure out. Hishiro would probably throw away his suspicions if you offered him something good."

"What, like my body?" Shima asked, scandalous look on his face as he jokingly held an arm over his chest."Okumura, you pervert!"

Yukio sighed. He wouldn't deny it. Shima was annoying.

Shima laughed."I get it. I get it." He leaned back on his hand."There's a narrow alleyway a couple buildings down, near the hotel. It's the only one on this block, so you wont miss it. I'll lure Hishiro there and then we'll strike. Easy peasy."

"Until we actually have to do it."

"It'll be fine!"

Though if anything, Shima sounded the most worried.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Demons (as filed in the manga)
> 
> File 7: Byakko  
> Low to High Level  
> As demons that possess animals and serve as Shinshi (messengers to gods indigenous to Japan), they coexist with humans. Byakko were originally popular in Japan as guardian deities of foods and agriculture. The older ones are intelligent and can understand human language. They will enter into agreements with people. As long as the agreement is kept, they brings benefit, but otherwise, they may inflict harm.  
> Anime/Manga - Izumo's familiars, Miketsu and Ukemochi, are Byakko


	9. Define Lust

"Let's go some place with a kotetsu."

Bon sighed for what felt like the millionth time during their short train ride. Lewin was sprouting more nonsense than usual and he had a vague feeling he knew why. Ever since their mutual confessions at the pier back in Otaru, Lewin had been going on and on about how this trip was some kind of vacation or date. Bon tried his best to tell him it wasn't, because this was completely different from what would normally be considered a "date", but Lewin wasn't listening, just saying a date could be whatever they wanted it to be.

It was oddly romantic.

But Bon couldn't let this turn into some odd date. They still had a highly dangerous demon to exorcise and he couldn't let himself get distracted. Part of it was also embarrassment. He was sure the more he focused his attention on Lewin, the more embarrassed he would get. Their relationship wasn't even a day old yet, so of course he would still be jittery.

Lewin, on the other hand, seemed more excited than ever.

"I want to snuggle with Ryuji under a kotetsu!" He protested a little too loudly, earning some glances.

"We need to find a place to stay near the ocean, so we can watch for the Gurges. We can't be picky, master," Bon explained once again, voice growing more tired as he found himself wanting to give in more and more. But where would they find a place with a kotetsu in the first place? It was illogical.

Bon pulled his laptop out of his bag, piquing Lewin's interest. He opened it up to begrudgingly look for a place for them to stay."I'll make sure the place it plenty warm. We can even ask for extra blankets if you want."

"It's not about being warm, Ryuji!" Lewin argued back."It's about snuggling together under it like a store brand Japanese household."

"I get it. I'll find us a kotetsu after this mission, alright?" Bon was just glad he didn't cave in early. Looked like his continuous attempts at resistance against Lewin's persistence were finally paying off.

"You better," Lewin huffed back, finally calming down. He rested back on the train seat."Maybe your parents place will have one."

"My house? Why are you bringing my house up?"

"You wanna go see them again, right? I could've sworn you mentioned it..."

"I did, but I didn't think you remembered." Bon was honestly shocked Lewin did remember. His head was always filled with demons and more demons, so he tended to forget anything have to do with people. Maybe he was changing more than Bon realized.

"Of course I did," Lewin said so naturally."I still haven't greeted them yet, right? I probably should, huh..."

Bon thought about what that would look like. The image usually showed Lewin giving them a quick and partially dismissive greeting and then blurting out a million facts about their relationship they didn't need to know with that cheeky smile on his face. It wouldn't go well at all. At least without Bon strictly telling him what he could and couldn't say. Even then, Lewin didn't listen to anyone, so his efforts would probably be for nought.

Should he even let him meet his parents?

"It is odd you haven't yet," Bon said instead, finally finding a suitable hotel for them to stay at."But I guess I've talked enough about you for them to know what kind of person you are."

_At least Mom_ , Bon thought. _Dad's too laid-back to look into it._

"You've talked about me?" Lewin asked with a cheeky look on his face.

"Of course I have," Bon responded, not realizing what Lewin was implying."You kept me busy even during the holidays, so of course they started wondering what I was doing."

Lewin laughed."You're always such a busybody, Ryuji!"

"It's because you're so careless!" Bon snapped back."Seriously, how did you live before I showed up?! No, I don't want to know."

"Who knows!" Lewin continued laughing, hand sneaking out to grab Bon's and entwine their fingers together."You really are a lifesaver!"

He gave their hands a squeeze and Bon wouldn't help but sigh and relax in response, heart fluttering. He closed his laptop, finished with all their arrangements, and rested back in his seat, mimicking Lewin. He allowed himself to just close his eyes for a bit, brain finally beginning to process everything that's happened in the past couple hours.

He finally found out where Shima has been after all these years, then he gets kidnapped by a demon who ends up making a contract with him, and then Lewin—who showed no care for anyone or anything but demons—confessed to him. And right after that they just went about business as usual. Such a feat was only possible with Lewin, really. Bon had no idea how he did it cause it seemed like every time Lewin even addressed him his whole body grew hot.

Even now, just this little bit of hand holding was making his heart beat like crazy. He wondered how he had kept his composure around him for so long. Perhaps it was just that he kept so many chains around his feelings that now that he had released them they had grown crazy and amassed to such a degree that it made him a mess. It felt like he was constantly stumbling.

Soon enough the train dropped them off at their stop and Lewin and Bon stepped out into the small town.

"It's snowing," Lewin noted casually, small snowflakes already beginning to amass themselves on top of his hat and hefty layers of clothes.

"You're right," Bon mumbled idly, sticking a hand out and to let a few drops fall onto it."This place is caked in snow. I wonder how much they get yearly."

"Be careful not to fall. I got my hands full, so I wont be able to catch you," Lewin teased as they began walking into town.

"I'll be fine. Worry about yourself," Bon huffed back."Let's hurry to the hotel. It's cold."

"What about dinner?"

"The hotel provides dinner," Bon explained."I thought that would be better since we're pretty tired."

"Good thinking, Ryuji!" Lewin smiled over at him."But it'll definitely be cold tonight! We better huddle close in bed for warmth!"

"The hotel has built in heat..." Bon argued back meekly. It didn't matter much what he said at that point. He wouldn't deny he didn't want that either. At this point there was no use.

Lewin seemed to ignore the statement as well and they continued to trudge on to the hotel which wasn't too far away from the station. It certainly felt farther in the cold with all the snow littering the ground. It was a relief when they finally made it inside and were able to rest and enjoy a nice warm meal.

The staff were overly friendly as well which gave the place the nice, homey feel. It was probably because it was such a small town. Especially with no tourists, they probably didn't get a lot of people staying at their hotel. Bon only noted two other groups beside them staying the night.

The atmosphere was beginning to feel too much like a quiet, laid back vacation. Bon had to remind himself why they were there in the first place.

Lewin came into view, having just come out of the shower and needing to warm up instantly."Boy, it sure is cold in Hokkaido!"

He wrapped a blanket around himself, sitting in one of the chairs next to the large window in their room. Bon, who was watching the snow fall from the seat across him with his phone up to his ear, turned to look over at him.

"Lightning's here. I'm gonna put you on speaker," he spoke into the phone, doing just that and setting it on the table between them.

"Oh, is this one of Ryuji's friends?" Lewin asked cheerfully.

"It's Konekomaru," the man on the phone stressed back irritably.

"Were you talking about Shima?" Lewin asked."He should be fine. Don't worry too much!"

"There's no way I would be worried about that idiot," Konekomaru responded, earning a chuckle from Lewin in response.

"You tracked down the demons location, right?" Bon asked, getting back on topic. Sometimes what Lewin thought was mindless fun was the exact opposite.

"Right." There was some typing on the other end of the phone before he spoke again."I got word from an exorcist that they saw the demon you're talking about pass along the coast of Setana—south of Otaru—around an hour ago."

"Looks like we just missed it, then!" Lewin responded, Bon sighing visibly along with his words."But it's not like I was really planning on exorcising it today anyways."

"Wait, you're in Setana right now?!" Konekomaru shouted through the line.

"Yeah," Bon answered, running a hand over his head."We would probably be able to chase after it if it wasn't snowing so hard right now. We'll have a hard time tracking it if the sun's not out."

"I see..." Konekomaru murmured, more clacking of keys following."I can estimate where it'll be by tomorrow morning."

"Estimate for Sunday morning," Lewin said.

"Sunday?!" Konekomaru and Bon both shouted simultaneously.

"Today's Friday, you know?!" Bon argued.

"That'll be a whole day of leaving it alone!" Konekomaru followed."We don't know how many more demon's it'll enhance by that time! Plus, at the speed it's going, it could leave Hokkaido by then!"

"Not if we exorcise it _really_ early in the morning," Lewin explained lightly, not bothered in the slightest by their protests."We know nothing about this demon, so I don't want to take any risks when fighting it. Ryuji's still hurt too. If we wait till Sunday, we can use Ryuji's Aquiel to exorcise it."

"But Aquiel can only exorcise demon's that are lower ranked than it," Bon argued back."The Gurges demon is at least mid to high level!"

"Don't worry, it'll be fine!" Lewin smiled at him."I have a theory about that, and it's not like we haven't already sent a load of exorcists to take care of the enhanced demons. But, of course, if it's on course to leave Hokkaido by then we'll veto my idea."

"...It would work," Konekomaru spoke, sound of clacking keys halting."There's a coastal town a couple miles out that's currently doing some seaside construction. The Gurges doesn't touch regular humans, so it'll have to go around. The detour is large because it'll have to pass through some mountains. By early Sunday morning, it should reach Kaminokuni. It's closer to the boarder, but we'll have people patrolling by then, so it should be fine."

"Great!" Lewin smiled."Then to Kaminokuni it is!"

"I guess so..." Bon spoke, not knowing how to feel about their current plan. But it was true that neither the Gurges or any of the demons its enhanced have attacked humans, besides the coal tars. That Baba Yaga only went after exorcists.

"I'll update you if anything changes," Konekomaru said.

"Thank you, Konekomaru," Bon spoke to his friend."I'll make time to visit after this, I promise."

"Alright," Konekomaru responded, bit of smile in his voice once again."We've all missed you, Bon. So you better!"

Not waiting for his response, or perhaps embarrassed by his sappiness, Konekomaru quickly cut the call and left Bon and Lewin in silence.

"Maybe you should try for your Tamer license while you visit," Lewin said wistfully, though he had a sneaky smile on his face."You have the familiars to do it."

"You think?" Bon hadn't even thought of that."But I haven't studied at all. I'm not prepared. Plus, I feel like getting a Doctor license might be more useful if I do get another."

"You'll be fine regardless," Lewin hummed back."You know how to properly use all the skills you're given, so the test will be no problem! You should be ranking up to Junior 1st Class when we stop back at the Vatican anyways."

"Really? So quickly?" Bon asked, eyes wide.

"Give yourself a little credit, Ryuji! You're a good exorcist," Lewin responded, standing up and moving over to him. He held a hand out."But you can worry about that later. Let's go to sleep. Look, I even pushed our futons together so we can cuddle."

Bon looked over at the futon's, ears burning. He felt that warmth spread towards his face as he took Lewin's hand and let him lead them to bed.

_We're on a mission_ , he had to remind himself again.  
  


* * *

  
  
Luring Hishiro out, to Shima, was the easy part. Perhaps it was because he didn't like fighting, or perhaps it was because he was confident that if one thing would go right in this plan, it was that.

After Yukio left in the morning, the rest of the day was spent entertaining the two Kukyo. Lady Tsubaki had let him go out with them during the day, but once it hit nighttime, he was back at The Red Blossom working his usual job by her side while the two Kukyo went out to do god knows what.

When everything was said and done, Shima waited patiently and listened for the other two to come back to sleep for the night. Of course, he still wanted Hishiro to be awake, so he tiptoed himself inside his room before he got the chance to get too comfortable.

The rest was simple, really.

"What's this?" Hishiro looked at him seductively."Have you come to spend the night with me, Kenji?"

Of course, someone like Hishiro would think he's irresistible. Especially when Shima was wearing such loose, raggedly ready for sex clothing. But honestly, he wasn't Shima's type. Men with proper muscles and stubborn, almost tsundereish attitudes appealed to him. Men like Yukio.

"I want to, but I don't think milady will want me sleeping with you," Shima explained in a low voice like they had some kind of secret to share."She's very possessive, you know. Today was the first time I had gone out in years."

It was basically a challenge of authority. Though these "siblings" acted kind towards one another, you could tell there was inner turmoil. It was blatant to see that Hishiro hated Lady Tsubaki's prideful nature. So, the best way to lure him out was to exploit that.

"Seriously?" Hishiro's eyes widened."Aw, how sad. I'm sure you want to go out and do the things you want, right?"

Hishiro leaned close to Shima suggestively, draping an arm over his shoulder and pulling him close so they were inches away, breaths mingling together."Shall I steal you away from her so we can have our own fun?"

Shima's eyes widened."Really?" he asked."There _is_ a place I've always wanted to go, but..." He looked to the side with uncertainly.

It was all acting, of course.

"Here, take these." Hishiro shoved a thick coat and a scarf towards Shima. The purple was a bit flashy, but he had to take it."You and I are gonna sneak out and have some fun, okay? Let's go to that place you've always wanted to go."

"But Lady Tsubaki..."

"Who cares about that old hag!" Hishiro snapped, a bit too loud, and quickly calmed down."Let's have some fun just you and me. I know you want to."

Shima solemnly gave in."Okay, let's do it."

He put on the coat and scarf and followed Hishiro out of The Red Blossom. Once they stepped out into the cold, Hishiro wrapped his arms around Shima's like someone's girlfriend might. No boobs on a man, though. It was too bad.

"So where's this place you want to go?" Hishiro asked, looking over at Shima.

"Oh, it's not too far," Shima responded, turning them left and following the road down the street. No sign of Yukio, which should be a good thing, but it made Shima nervous. He knew he was just hiding and waiting to move in, but that wouldn't help Shima's nerves any.

He just needed to follow the plan. Simpler said then done, though.

"Okay, it's right down here," Shima said as they continued."We just have to go right down this alley a bit..."

"A hidden business?" Hishiro questioned with a smile as they turned into the alley."I like your style, Kenji."

_It'll be fine. It'll be fine. It'll be fine_ , Shima chanted in his head as he pulled out his K'rik which he had been hiding. He clasp it between his hands and quickly began to murmur Yamantaka's summon spell, since it had been such a long time since summoning him.

" _On girishuchiri bikiri tadanouun sarabashadoro dashaya satanbaya satanbaya_..."

"Huh? What are you saying, Kenji?" Hishiro asked, finally catching his murmuring.

But it was too late.

" _Sohatta sohatta souka_..." Shima turned to Hishiro."Yamantaka, bind!"

"Finally!" his demon familiar roared, black flame pluming upwards until Yamantaka's imposing form towered over the small alleyway.

"Wha—!"

But before Hishiro could speak further, black flame swarmed around his face, snapping against his skin and wrapping around his mouth so he couldn't speak. It didn't harm him, but it restricted him.

Hishiro's shock quickly turned into a burning hatred which he directed at Shima in full. His body, still free to move, stepped towards Shima, but before he could move another step, a sword was put between the two of them.

It was a nagamaki blade, one Shima had never seen before. Certainly not on gun-wielding Yukio's person.

"I wouldn't take a step further, if I was you," Yukio spoke from behind Hishiro.

What Yukio forgot to estimate in that moment, though, was the fact that while Kukyo looked human, they were still demons. And Kukyo especially were naturally bred faster and stronger than your average human.

So the Kukyo, focus now on the sword in Yukio's hand, ducked under the threatening blade at a speed that had the two exorcists eyes widening, twisted his body around, and used his current momentum to sprint towards Yukio. He was aiming low, hoping to go for a low grab before Yukio could recover and bring his blade down on him.

Shima, reacting on pure instinct, fully opened his K'rik and in the process hit Hishiro in the side just as he began to sprint towards Yukio. The force of the K'rik opening abruptly threw Hishiro's body against the alley wall with a bruising force.

An almost feral growl left Hishiro at the action. He shot Yukio a quick glare, so the other readied himself for an attack, but unknown to him Hishiro's real objective was Shima. He pushed his body off the wall and swung his right arm backwards, body twisting with the motion as a fist flew directly towards Shima.

He was able to hold up his K'rik, using a bit of black flame as well, to block the attack before it hit him directly but it still pushed him back a considerable distance.

"G-gah!" Shima cried, feeling the pressure of the hit put stress on his body.

Hishiro's attack, while effective, left him completely open in the front which Yukio took full advantage of."Just stay down already!" he yelled, adjusting his sword down towards his left side so he could land an upwards slash across the Kukyo's chest.

Hishiro saw the threat and kicked a foot up to stop Yukio's hand before his blade got any closer. Having a stronger body made risky moves like this possible, because Hishiro had the strength in just his foot to keep Yukio's whole body pinned down.

But the problem with the fancy, designer shoes Hishiro wore was that they had no traction and unused alley's like this could get very, very icy in the winter. So now Hishiro, balanced on one leg in an icy terrain, could do nothing but slip and fall to the floor.

Yukio, still completing his slash, just barely nicked Hishiro's chest as he fell. And in a combination of both shock and quick movement, Yukio found himself following Hishiro downward as he slipped and fell as well.

Noticing his sword, now above his head, was on path to potentially hurt Shima who was recovering above him, Yukio tossed it aside and used his hands to instead aim to hold Hishiro down on the floor.

"Shima, quickly!" Yukio shouted, knowing that the minute the Kukyo pushed against him he could be overtaken by his superior strength.

"Damnit!" Shima cursed, quickly leaping down and putting a pair of fingers to Hishiro's forehead before he could recover."Sir!"

The Kukyo thrashed and yelled as black smoke began seeping from the spot Shima touched. It wasn't in pain as much as it was anger. He was a bit weaker because of the hit but its still wasn't enough for Yukio to properly hold him down.

"Braso! Deed!" Shima shouted, tapping his arms while throwing his body over the both of them in an unorthodox attempt to keep the Kukyo down."Yukio, the legs—"

"I know!" he snapped back, shifting his body downward so Shima could access his legs."Crus! Dno!" He tapped both legs.

The Kukyo still thrashed about, but it was now something Yukio could easily handle on his own. If they hadn't said them in order it would've been a different story, though.

"Get off. I'm gonna turn him to the side," Yukio ordered, gripping Hishiro's shoulders and keeping both his knees around the demons thighs.

Shima moved away to get a good angle."Alright, do it," he said, fingers quickly pressing against the demons spine before Yukio pushed him back down."Selg."

The Kukyo was now completely limp. Still, tension ran through Shima and Yukio's bodies until Shima put his fingers to the Kukyo's heart and recited the last chant.

"Shi."

Hishiro turned to dust and soon there was nothing in his place. Even as he passed, anger rolled through his eyes and stared Yukio down. It was a shuddering feeling that Yukio was sure he would never forget, because he looked so _human_.

"Oh thank god!" Shima cried, sitting back with a heavy sigh of relief."That was close!"

Yukio didn't respond, sitting up and grabbing his sword and sheathing it. The initial fall hurt his hands a bit but that was all the damage he took. It was the best possible outcome he could've asked for.

"Why didn't you tell me you would be using a sword?!" Shima shouted at Yukio, snapping upwards to point an accusing finger at him."That shocked me!"

"I forgot to tell you," was all Yukio said in response. He fixed the belt of his exorcist uniform, then looked up at Shima."And what's with that outfit? Purple leopard print? I'm not the most fashionable but at least I know better."

"I had no choice but to wear it, okay?!" Shima huffed in response, throwing the damn scarf and jacket off him."Gah, it's cold!"

"Of course it is, idiot," Yukio grumbled back, taking off his scarf and handing it to Shima."Let's go back to The Red Blossom quickly. If your body's all numb your reaction time will be slower."

"Let's fight!" Yamantaka yelled behind them."It's been a long time since I've gone all out! Let's kill!"

"Would you shut him up?" Yukio asked, turning around and beginning to leave the alley.

"Sorry," Shima apologized, Yamantaka leaving as he put his K'rik back out of sight."It's been awhile since I've taken him out, so he's getting rowdy."

"Compose yourself," Yukio responded."We still have two more Kukyo to take on and you need to make sure you properly lure another one out."

"I know," Shima responded, stretching his body slightly and shaking off the aching from Hishiro's blow."Just wait outside and I'll grab Chane-chan."

Yukio stopped him before he went inside The Red Blossom."Let me know if you're in trouble."

"Aw, are you worrying about me?" Shima smiled at him.

"Of course I am, idiot," Yukio growled back."Now hurry up."

Shima composed himself, though he was honestly shocked by Yukio's words. He slid open the front door to The Red Blossom which was still unlocked from when he left with Hishiro and stepped inside. He didn't even get the chance to close the door, though, before he stopped in his tracks.

"Chane-chan..." he greeted in a shaky voice. Yukio, directly next to him but mostly concealed by the building, tensed."What are you doing out here so late at night?"

Across from him, Chane sat in one of the bar chairs with not a single item of food on the table in front of her. It was an ominous, frightening feeling she gave off. Something that made a cold shudder run down Shima's spine.

"Where's Hishiro?" she asked, staring Shima down, daring him to lie."You left with him not long ago. Where is he?"

"O-Oh!" Shima let off a pathetically nervous chuckle."He found a pretty person at the club we went to and left me behind, haha."

Chane's eyes lowered and dulled."You liar."

"I'm not lying, I swear!" Shima tried."He really did—"

"YOU LIAR!" she yelled."I knew I couldn't trust you the minute I saw you! You goddamn EXORCIST!"

The table in front of her was sent flying towards Shima at an amazing speed. Yukio quickly reacted, jumping forward and pushing Shima aside as he used the sheath of his sword to block himself and direct the table away from them.

"Shima, take care of Tsubaki before she gets away!" Yukio shouted at Shima, unsheathing his sword."I'll take care of this!"

"But, Okumura—"

"Go!" he shouted, using the fallen table to hide behind the barrage of knifes thrown his way as Shima ran towards the stairs leading up to Lady Tsubaki's quarters.

"Don't die, Yukio!" was all Shima shouted before he left him completely alone with the demon.

There was a heavy silence between them. Yukio peaked out behind the table to see Chane standing there, waiting for him.

"C'mon, don't hide, exorcist!" she shouted at him, venom thick in her words."Come out and fight me!"  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Kukyo's past demon forms
> 
> Lady Tsubaki (Pride): Byakko - see ch.8 end notes  
> Sakamoto Takumi (Avarice): Salamander - see ch.7 end notes  
> Envy (unnamed): Goblin - seen in ch.2 of the manga, defined at the end of vol.1  
> Sal (Wrath): Sea Monk - seen in ch.36 of the manga, defined at the end of vol.9  
> Hishiro (Lust): Dekalp - seen in ch.3 of the manga, defined at the end of vol.1  
> Chane (Gluttony): Kraken - see ch.5 end notes  
> Sum Yue (Sloth): Bariyon - seen in ch.6 of the manga, defined at the end of vol.2


	10. Origin of Humanity

Shima took the staircase upstairs, turning a sharp corner to walk down rows of rooms. He took his K'rik out, snapping it to its full length and slowly letting Yamantaka out. The demon chanted inside his head its desires to fight and destroy everything around it. It was a bit annoying.

Everything was.

He made his way to Lady Tsubaki's room and stopped right outside it. His hand clenched against his K'rik.

"Come in, Kenji," Lady Tsubaki called from the other side of the door.

Shima used his free hand to slide the door open, taking two steps forward before closing it behind him. Lady Tsubaki laid casually in the middle of the room like she usually would, pipe in hand and one of her arms resting on a small stool as she peered off to idly blow smoke away from him. Her kimono was as brilliant and elaborate as usual.

"Nervous as ever..." she spoke, more to herself than him."There's plenty of racket going on downstairs. My siblings are our guests, you know? Are you treating them properly?"

Shima let out a small, nervous chuckle."Sorry, milady, but don't really think this job's for me. I'm thinking of quitting."

"If you quit, I'll have to kill you," Lady Tsubaki responded."Don't you remember me saying that, Kenji? I can't have you leaving my sight with the knowledge you have about me."

"Ah, I guess you're right. I forgot about that!" Shima laughed, rubbing the side of his neck.

Lady Tsubaki took a long drag from her pipe, closing her eyes to listen briefly to what was going on below her. She then opened them."Exorcists, huh...? I had a feeling that was the case when you so readily accepted these powers of mine. That other man, Yuki, is one as well I assume. Looks like you had to improvise with his cover story."

"Geez..." Shima tilted his head downwards, rubbing a hand through his hair."I guess I was more obvious than I thought."

"That's why I like you so much, Kenji." Lady Tsubaki blew out more smoke."The way you put yourself down elevates my pride. It makes me feel like I'm more than I really am."

She dumped her ashes, sitting up and pushing her arm rest aside."In reality, I had no idea you were an exorcist. To me you just looked like a dense fool who probably believed too much in the occult. Maybe you thought I was an angel or a God. You had me completely fooled."

She had a sorrowful look on her face as she stared at Shima. It shook him to his core.

"What's your name?" she asked."Your real name."

"Shima Renzou," he responded."I'm a spy for the Order sent here to watch you so I can locate the other Kukyo. The missing four have been found, so I'm currently completing my second mission."

"And what is that?"

"Exorcising them."

Lady Tsubaki's eyes dulled, closed, and stayed that way. Her head slowly tilted downwards as she began laughing, shoulders shaking first and soon her whole body followed. Her head flew upwards as she laughed on in a way eerily similar to Shima.

"And I led you right to them! Me! I killed us all!" She kept laughing, voice full and hysteric."I've done it again! I'm the best at killing everything around me! Strength has nothing against pride, it seems!"

Shima did nothing but watch her. Behind him, Yamantaka pulsated and grew as his need for violence increased. He ignored it, focusing on Lady Tsubaki, waiting for her next move.

She quieted down, taking one big breath and moving her head back down so she could look at Shima once again. She stared at him and he felt a wave of nostalgia from when they first met. It was at his job interview that she had given him the same curious stare, seeming to look inside his soul, but he saw now that she couldn't look that deep. She could only give off that illusion.

"Shima Renzou..." she murmured as she stared at him."I can't tell if it's a fitting name or not. I feel like regardless of the name I'll still see the same person."

"Give me a little credit, milady," Shima responded."I'm not usually _that_ much of a pushover. But for a beautiful lady like yourself, I thought I would make an exception."

"How kind of you." She chuckled."Tell me, Shima, what kind of place did you grow up in?"

"I grew up in a temple in Kyoto with a bunch of older brothers. They kept picking on me all the time cause I was the youngest. My friends, who also lived there, were the same too." Shima laughed."Maybe that's why I turned out like this."

"But you love them, right?" Lady Tsubaki asked."That seems to be what familial love is like from what I've seen."

"Haha, you're spot on!" Shima smiled."It's a bit weird, but that's how we show our love."

"And what about a lover?" she asked.

"Ah, well..." Shima looked off, not having to think too hard about it but not really sure if he wanted to admit it."I guess I have someone I'm interested in. But with my job, I'm on the fence about making a move."

"Don't do anything you'll regret, Shima," Lady Tsubaki responded."Cherish those good feelings, but don't take them for granted. You should make your move before you ruin yourself because of them."

"Speaking for experience?" Shima asked with a smirk.

"Don't get cheeky," she tutted back in a smooth voice."Now let's see you finish your job properly."

"Right," Shima responded, bringing Yamantaka back and readying himself for a fight. But when Lady Tsubaki didn't move, he knew that things weren't going to go the way he thought they were. She was going to make this hard on him, wasn't she?

"Shima, just promise me one thing." She remained seated, facing him off like she was ready to die. No, she _was_ ready to die.

"What is it?" he asked back.

"Any Kukyo that emerge in the future...please exorcise them quickly. Don't give them the chance to live a life as a human."

"That's a tall order, milady," Shima responded with a laugh."You know I can't promise that."

She chuckled back, sounding more like the breezy, elegant sound she had before."I know. Just make sure to exorcise me quickly, and don't forget to laugh for me. You know I love hearing you laugh. It sounds more pathetic than condescending when you do it."

"Always so demanding..." Shima laughed, stepping towards her and dropping his K'rik next to him as he squatted down to her level. It could've all been one big trick by her but she said it best when telling Shima she wasn't that deceitful.

Though she looked like a sly snake, she was more of a cuddly fox.

Shima brought two fingers to her forehead and started the death verse."Sir." He moved downwards."Braso. Deed. Crus. Dno." Black smoke fizzled from the spots he touched, yet she didn't move an inch and didn't flinch away once in pain. Shima leaned forward, wrapping an arm around her to press against her spine."Selg."

Lady Tsubaki tumbled then, falling forward into Shima's arms as all her strength finally left her body. She breathed a long sigh, closing her eyes."Stop acting sentimental..."

Shima laughed, letting her hear the sound rumbling in his chest before he pushed her back and pressed his fingers over her heart and finally chanted the last word.

"Shi."

She crumbled there, in his arms, until his body was coated in a thin, barely noticeable layer of dust. Shima hadn't realized it back with Lust, but now, as what remained of Lady Tsubaki coated him, he realized it.

They were like ashes.  
  


* * *

  
  
Yukio was breathing heavy hidden behind the table Chane had thrown his way. He could barely even peer over at her before she threw a load of knives at him. It seemed, in her anger, she had forgotten about her control over him through his Machiavellian word. Yukio knew he should use this to his advantage but couldn't find an opening under Chane's barrage. It was like she had an unlimited amount of knives.

Yukio reached for his guns on his waist and hesitated. The whole reason he brought his nagamaki was to practice using it. Perhaps it was because of Rin, but he had a hard time using the sword. It wasn't very suited for him in the first place, because you couldn't switch your hands around while using it which meant Yukio's advantage of being ambidextrous went to waste. But he didn't want the sword he used to look anything like a katana, because it would remind him too much of Rin.

It was petty and he should've known better.

Hesitation lasting long enough, Yukio finally decided on his move and slowly unsheathed his sword. He felt the air in the room pause as he did, only sound now the slow ring of metal as he fully unsheathed his weapon. Then, Chane spoke.

"A sword, huh?" she said, anger now seeming to calm which put Yukio on edge.

Should he move now? Should he hop over the table and go for a frontal attack or was this all apart of her ruse? One word was enough to stop him in his tracks, let alone the load of knives she was sure to throw his way.

"I met a knight hundreds of years ago, just when they were beginning to become a dying breed," she started talking in an eerily calm voice compared to how she was before."I wasn't a Kukyo then and all I craved was flesh, but he stood out to me because even as he was being swallowed hole, he wouldn't let go of that sword of his. It made me gain a respect for the craft, so I'll fight you evenly."

There was a clank and some rustling of clothing."It would leave a bad taste in my mouth if I used your Machiavellian word anyways. If I gained this power because of my gluttony, then I'll use it for my gluttony. But if I'm on the verge of death, don't think I wont hesitate to use it."

Yukio gulped smally, trying to decipher if what she was saying was a lie or not. The dramatic shift in her feelings was suspicious, but it wasn't like these Kukyo weren't deranged to begin with. Time and unexpected humanity may have messed with their heads more than Yukio expected.

"Come out and face me properly, exorcist," the demon called."I'll keep my word."

Yukio instantly began questioning her sincerity, but then realized it was useless. If she wanted to, she could use his Machiavellian word to make him come out. Either way the outcome would be the same, so he stood up and walked over to face her.

They stood a good distance apart, Yukio tightly gripping his sword in both hands as the blade was lowered at his side. Chane had taken her mask off as well as most of her clothes to make her lighter. It didn't matter much when holding a sword but it helped to not get your clothes snagged against the blade.

She stared him up and down."Well, it's because of me being so courteous that we are able to have this duel, so giving you a handicap should only be fair." Yukio's eyes widened, but he couldn't call her logic unfair." _Hold your sword with your left hand in front_."

Yukio's body instantly did as she demanded, hands switching. He had to move the sword to his left side because of it. He didn't know what to expect, but this was the best possible outcome. She had no idea he was ambidextrous and that this wasn't a setback for him in the slightest. There was no question he had trained with both his left and right hand.

"Now then..." The Kukyo opened her mouth to a comically large degree, reaching her hand inside and slowly pulling out a broadsword.

Yukio cringed at the sight, watching as the sword slowly came out and all the saliva got rubbed off or splatted against the floor. He didn't want to think it, but that must've been where all those knives came from.

She noted his face and smiled."Let's see if you'll grip your sword as tightly as that knight did when he died, exorcist!"

The demon bolted towards Yukio, her superior speed and strength working in her favor. Yukio's first battle with a Kukyo was still fresh in his mind, however, so he knew how he needed to fight this battle and expertly dodged to the right of the oncoming blade.

The thing about the nagamaki was that it required a wide girth of space for large movements because of the length of the blade. It was not a quick weapon, but if a hit landed you could do much more damage than a regular blade. So Yukio's goal was to distance himself, strike, readjust, and continue that cycle until he landed a lethal enough blow to begin the Kukyo's death verse.

So when Yukio dodged he got a good distance away from the Kukyo, gripped his weapon and went in for a hit. His blade came upwards from his side and aimed for her left arm, but Chane moved her body in momentum with his to dodge his blow and parry with her own blade. Her broadsword aimed for his exposed stomach and barely nicked him as he shuffled back away from it, arms rotating and slashing horizontally right for her neck.

Her eyes widened and she quickly pulled up her blade to block, pulling her foot up and kicking Yukio directly in the stomach. He was sent flying backwards, tables and chairs littering the bar floor lessening the impact of him hitting the far wall of The Red Blossom behind him.

"That wasn't very noble of you," Yukio grumbled, sitting up and ignoring the sting of his aching back.

"I don't need to be noble," she responded, blade coming up as she sprinted towards him."I just need to win!"

Yukio held up the long hilt of his sword and blocked the blow with it with a grimace."Well, I do to!" He shifted the position of the hilt so it was now flat which made Chane's body unsteady as her sword was suddenly moved downwards.

One of Yukio's fingers, which was close to her blade, was cut in the process—maybe it even fell off—but it was a small sacrifice in the scheme of things. As the Kukyo's balance was now thrown off, Yukio used this chance to kick her legs out from under her. He twisted his sword in hopes to throw off her grip, but she held on strongly to her blade. She was terrible using it, so Yukio didn't understand why she held on so tightly, but just knew he needed to keep it away from him so he could properly complete the death verse.

So, throwing all his body weight onto his sword, he pushed her down to the floor and quickly moved a hand to touch one of her points before he regained her balance. He couldn't go too far, though, so he was only able to touch her left arm "Braso!" her forehead "Sir!" and her right arm "Deed!"

Black smoke bled from the spots and Chane groaned in pain, throwing Yukio off her body with just her free arm. He rolled along the floor, but it wasn't as hard as last time. Since he didn't say the points in order, though, so she was still ridiculously strong.

She came at him again while he was on the floor, now more cautious of him using the same strategy and going straight for the head. Sword abandoned in the throw, Yukio used another unconventional method and snagged one of the stray wooden boards from one of the broken tables and used it to stop the blow before it reached him, Chane's sword now trapped in the wood.

As she tried to yank it free, Yukio used this time to make his move. He used Chane's sturdiness to his advantage, twisting his body and lifting himself upwards so his legs wrapped around her arm trapped holding the sword. Then, in one violent move, he yanked his whole body off the floor and moved Chane's arm with him. He locked his ankles right at her shoulder blade and switched his grip on the wooden board so he could now easily push it back away from him.

He pulled back, then violently forward so the momentum would send the Kukyo falling backwards, perhaps even dislocating her arm. He kept pushing until the tip of her blade, which had reached through the wood, was now imbedded into the floor. As he pushed his hand came over and pressed against her spine."Selg!"

Yukio tried to keep his legs braced against her arm as he bent his body back to touch her legs, but she was still much stronger than him and her sword ripped out of the ground, whipping towards him as he bent down to press against her legs.

It happened at the exact same time, Yukio shouting out "Crus!" and "Dno!" along with a sharp cry of pain as Chane's blade ripped through a thick layer of skin and muscle on his upper left arm. Yukio breathed thickly as Chane finally went completely limp, sword now sharply imbedded into the ground far too close to his face.

It wasn't over yet, of course, and Yukio clenched his teeth through the pain and huffed his body back up to finish the Kukyo off. She had his eyes the minute he sat up and he quickly snapped his hand over her mouth, knowing she wouldn't hesitate to use his Machiavellian word if it meant she could live another day.

Her teeth dug deeply into his hand, gnawing and screaming behind the flesh as she continued to struggle against him. But now that all six points were set, she couldn't move anymore.

So, like that, he touched the last point over her heart and finished her off.

"Shi."

She turned to dust under him right as Shima ran down the stairs."Okumura!" he shouted at him, running towards him with wide eyes."This place it totally wreaked! And you're bleeding so much! Oh god..." He scrambled to wrap Yukio's scarf, which he was still wearing, around the huge injury on Yukio's arm.

"Did you get the other Kukyo, Shima?" Yukio asked, trying to get his attention.

"Yeah, yeah, I got her. Don't worry," Shima answered, more focused on his arm.

"Good." Yukio breathed a sigh of relief and looked down at his hands to see that one of his fingers really was missing."One of my fingers should be somewhere around here. Check near my sword."

"Oh god, are you serious?" Shima looked over, finding one of his fingers was really gone."Gah, you're gonna make me sick. J-Just wait a bit, okay? I'm gonna call over a doctor. You'll be fine. Just don't pass out, okay?"

"I should be saying that to you," Yukio responded. He attempted to readjust himself into a better position and Shima followed him the whole time with a hand on his back.

"You're way too reckless. I should've helped you," he grumbled the whole time.

"But then Lady Tsubaki would've—"

Shima shut him up with a kiss, hands gripping the sides of his face harder than they needed to as he backed away and stared Yukio in the eye."I don't like seeing you hurt."

Right after he said that, Shima jogged away to grab a phone. Yukio only realized as Shima's hands left his face, with a smile, that they were shaking.  
  


* * *

  
  
"What a perfect winter morning!" Lewin shouted, arms wide open with happiness as he stomped along the sandy shores of Kaminokuni.

Bon followed after him casually, bazooka slung over his shoulder as a safety precaution. He looked along the shore for the Gurges. It was currently five in the morning with the sun rising at their backs just enough to illuminate the area around them. It wasn't snowing, thankfully. Just cold.

"I just hope the Gurges hasn't passed through here yet," Bon mumbled in response, keeping his hands tucked in his pockets and his face buried in his scarf.

"Don't be such a downer, Ryuji!" Lewin responded, walking back over to him. It was funny watching him trudge through sand in his worn boots."Right now we're on our third date, you know! And we also just found out one of the Okumura brothers and your friend took down the Kukyo. Be a little more excited."

"Third date?!" Bon questioned back incredulously."What happened to the first two?!"

"Yesterday and the day before that," Lewin responded like Bon was the dumb one."Every day we're together is a date."

Bon wanted to open his mouth and retort but simply couldn't find the words. He was more embarrassed by Lewin's sudden romantic words. He didn't know he could be so sappy. Thankfully his face was already red enough from the cold to show.

"Oh, look, it's coming it's coming!" Lewin pointed out and Bon turned his head to where he was looking to see what could only be the Gurges slowly moving along the shore towards them.

It was a peculiar creature without any features which could be a distinctive face. It's looked jelly, like a jellyfish, yet the colors on it were dull and its overall shape was like a miniature mammoth. Instead of a long snout or tusks there were two long tentacle-like objects roaming along the surface in front of it searchingly. It's feet, as well, also seemed to be suction cups as they puckered up and down in a monotonous motion.

Bon turned his headgear on to record everything."Let's take it down, Lewin," he encouraged the other.

"Wait just a second, Ryuji," Lewin responded with a stopping hand in front of him."Don't you want to hear my explanation as to why Aquiel can beat it?"

"That can wait for after, can't it?"

"Let me just say hi to the little guy first." Lewin grinned back at him, hopping forward in excitement.

"Wait, Lightning!" Bon ran after him.

"Hello, Mr. Gurges!" Lewin called to it."You've been causing quite the ruckus in Hokkaido, haven't you?"

The demon, in a shocking display, visibly shuddered in their presence. It's jelly-like body rippled and vibrated in a way that could only be seen as such.

"Are you surprised?" Lewin asked, eyes wide and curious in his usual childish wonder when it came to demons."Did you think you could make it out of Hokkaido without anyone catching you? Do you even have a conscious enough to understand that you (directly) killed one of our men and that we could be after you?"

It seemed to shrink downwards towards the sandy floor at Lewin's words, like it was further cowering in fear. But then, one of it's front tentacles shot out towards Lewin.

"Lightning!" Bon shouted jumping towards him.

Thankfully Lewin was expecting the attack and backed away in time, tentacle just out of reach."So aggressive." He whistled."Is this what you do to cover up your weakness?"

"Master, just let me exorcise it already!" Bon pleaded, worried he might try to attack them again. Who knew how far those tentacles could really stretch?

Lewin held up a finger towards him, continuing to speak to the demon."The only way it can attack is if we get close enough," Lewin spoke to him."And it's completely reliant on human waste to provide it with energy, that's why it's looking for trash to roll up on the ocean shores like this. Isn't that totally _weak_ of it?"

The Gurges shuddered again, body rippling in either anger or fear. Bon wouldn't blame the demon. Lewin could be pretty scary.

"Being reliant is nothing to be ashamed about, but not being able to even move without humans providing you with waste is pretty lame," Lewin said offhandedly, backing up further."Either way, I'm done here. I got a clear enough picture of the demon, so you can finish it off, Ryuji."

"Took you long enough," Bon sighed in response, putting his hands together to begin his chant to summon his demon familiar.

The chant was rather long and annoyingly tricky but given the amount of power the demon behind it held, it was a given. Bon finished off the chant with his last couple words being,"Rise, Aquiel!"

The demon was summoned in front of him, looking like nothing living but more like an array of sticks or rods carefully in equilibrium. Aquiel floated above him, both larger and taller than Bon. The various rods which made up its body swayed up and down, never stopping even as it faced the Gurges in front of it and completely exorcised it.

There was no blinding light or large movement or crackle of sound when Aquiel exorcised a demon. It's just that you saw the demon there, blinked, and it was gone. That's all it was.

"What a lackluster way to go out," Lewin said at the sight, Aquiel leaving next to him."Such a frail thing caused so much damage."

"I wonder what it was after," Bon responded, turning off his camera."I mean, why now? And why were all the demons it enhanced only after exorcists?"

"Perhaps some exorcists in Wakkanai were mean to it. Or maybe it really really loved Satan and wanted to get revenge on the exorcists who exorcised him."

Bon pondered those ideas, then shook his head."It doesn't really matter in the end. The Gurges being exorcised is all that matters."

"So now we have time to continue our date!" Lewin cheered joyfully.

"No, we have to report back to Konekomaru and then—"

"Ryuji." Lewin got right in his face, holding Bon's eyes for an uncomfortably long couple of seconds. His hands came up and dropped to either side of Bon's arms."Be my husband."

Bon blinked at him, processing in his mind that yes this was really happening."WHAT?! HUSBAND?!"

"Yeah, let's get married," Lewin grinned back at him."Obviously we can't do it in Japan, but I heard the current Pope supports gay marriage, so I'm sure there's someone in the Vatican we could ask to wed us. If you want a ceremony, too, we could hold something at your house."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Bon protested back in exasperation."Slow down a second. Are you serious?"

"Don't you want to get married, Ryuji?" Lewin asked so innocently that Bon couldn't help but put a hand over his face.

"Yeah, I do, but—!" Bon moved his hand away."Isn't this all happening way too fast? It hasn't even been three days yet! What will my family think...?"

"I told you I would greet them after this, right?" Lewin responded."It'll be fine. They should know by now that you don't make rash decisions. We've known each other for almost five years now."

Lewin's words were true enough. They had basically spent four years latched to each others side every day. Bon couldn't remember the last time he went a day without seeing Lewin. If they could last this long without any problems, marriage surely wouldn't change anything. And, at the same time, it wasn't like Bon didn't want to get married. Hearing Lewin call him his husband made an insurmountable about of butterflies flutter throughout his stomach.

He was usually so good at being strict and stubborn, especially with Lewin. It looked like love really changed people.

"Okay, fine," Bon finally gave in."Let's get married."

"Yay! I love you, Ryuji!" Lewin pulled his hands off his shoulders, grabbing Bon's face with them and yanking it down so he could kiss him. Bon closed his eyes and leaned into it.

_Me too._   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Story Created Demons
> 
> File 107: Gurges  
> Low to Mid Level  
> Kin of Astaroth, King of Rot. This demon uses its suction tubes to feed off waste and turn it into pure energy for demons to consume. This energy will make demons stronger and allow them to transfer new energy to other demons of the same breed. Can be commonly found around coastal regions.
> 
> File 108: Aquiel  
> Mid Level  
> Kin of Samael, King of Time. A unique demon born to exorcise and feed off other demons. It can completely exorcise a demon as long as the following conditions are met: It's Sunday, the demon is weaker than it, the demon is slower than it, and the demon is not of the same kin as it. Its angelic aura has been said to attract humans.


	11. Epilogue

The Knights of True Cross took over the scene at The Red Blossom. Applying first aid to Yukio was their first priority, then securing the scene and anyone who might have gotten involved, then dealing with the coal tars in the building, and then interrogating both Yukio and Shima.

It was only a brief interrogation because there were other priorities and the lower classed exorcists didn't know about Shima's mission and he wasn't allowed to say anything about it so they were left at a sort of stalemate. Yukio being involved only meant he had to be silent about it as well.

Kukyo could appear at any time, there could even still be some they didn't know about, so Yukio understood the reasoning behind keeping this case silent. He and Bon would probably be put under a Contract of Morinath back at the Order just as a precaution. And who knew what they would have to say about Bon forming a contract with one of them.

"Hey, Okumura! How ya feeling?" Shima popped up in front of him with a cheeky grin, plopping himself down next to him at one of the booth towards the back. Exorcists bustled around them, hard at work."Did you get all patched up?"

"Yeah, the painkillers are just starting to kick in." Yukio had his head rested back against the booth in exhaustion."I wont be able to work for awhile, but at least they found my finger and reattached it."

"GAH! Shut up!" Shima covered his ears."Enough about your fingers! I'm already traumatized!"

Yukio chuckled lightly, not wanting to move too much and agitate his wounds. They sat in silence after that. Yukio wasn't sure why Shima was still hovering over him, but he appreciated it. It had been awhile since he's drawn someones attention this much, so it felt kinda nice. For various reasons.

Yukios numb body and hazy mind made it easy for him to space out after that. He honestly had no idea how much time passed. He could've fallen asleep for all he knew. But no, that was probably impossible. He was too attentive to let such a thing happen. Especially with Shima next to him looking like he wanted to say something.

"Hey, remember that time I told you Lady Tsubaki wasn't making me do anything I didn't want to?" Shima finally spoke, an odd guilt in his voice.

Yukio leaned his head up off the booth, or more like, he felt that he needed to for this conversation."Yeah, I remember," he responded, choosing his next words carefully."Was that...a lie?"

"No, it was the truth." Shima's expression got worse as the guilt in his voice seemed to make an appearance on his face."I had no problem doing anything Lady Tsubaki asked. It was the same at the Illuminati. It doesn't even matter anymore who asks me to do something, I'll probably do it as long as it wont kill me."

Shima's head tilted down, hands running over his face briefly in a way Yukio had seen people do many times. He, himself, had done such a thing. Full of anguish, perhaps even self hate, and deep in emotional peril.

Shima's was different than Yukio had ever experienced, though. It felt like he was scared of himself, scared of how far his limits really were.

"What about Bon and Konekomaru? And your family?" Yukio responded, knowing -especially- how much he cared for Bon."You could never betray Bon, kill Bon, for a mission."

Yukio glanced down at Shima's face, more desperate than he wished he seemed. But it seemed a lost cause. Though Shima didn't say anything in response, his hands were clutched together and he had a face filled with guilt and sorrow. He didn't want to think he could, but he knew he probably would.

"There are plenty of groups who oppose the Order," Shima finally spoke."I'll probably start infiltrating them after this. Should one of them make a move against True Cross..."

"You have limits on your Machiavellian word, right?" Yukio asked, cutting Shima off."You're not just randomly laughing all the time so you must be using some type of sentence to keep it tamed."

Shima looked up at Yukio, not knowing where he was going with this."Yeah, of course I do. _Laugh when it's appropriate_. Without it, I would still be laughing even when people close to me died."

"Put those same limits on your job," Yukio said back, even a bit of bite to his words."So that you don't hurt the people you love or do things you'll regret in the future. If that's not enough, then just know I'll stop you if you ever try to do something stupid."

"You'll stop me?" Shima questioned like it was a stupid thing for him to say."You won't even know where I am, how will you stop me?"

"You'll tell me," Yukio responded rather confidently. There was no hesitation now. He had already said it so now he had to live up to his words. He had made his decision a long time ago, it was Shima's turn now."Every time you go on a mission you'll tell me what it is, even if you shouldn't. You'll tell me where you are and any difficult decisions you have to make even if it's risky to do so." Yukio got close to him, needing to look into his eyes as he said his next words.

"I'll protect you."

Then he kissed Shima, not with much force because of his injuries but with a lot of feeling. He wanted Shima to realize how serious he was. That he wouldn't back down. That he would accept everything about him as he has done to himself.

There was no way they could be lonely together.

"Woah, Yuki—" Shima tried to speak between kisses."Slow down. Slow—Your arm!"

He pushed them back up, careful of Yukio's injuries. Yukio could seem to care less, though, as he continued staring at Shima with earnest. He _had_ to understand.

"I get it, okay," Shima spoke back, grabbing the sides of Yukio's face and kissing him."I get it."

"Good." Yukio sat back in his original position, head beginning to lean back against the booth."You should be getting some time off after this mission to recover and prep for your next mission. Spend it with me while I recover."

"H-Huh?!" Shima blinked at him, excitement in his voice."Are you serious?"

"Yeah," Yukio responded with a grin."I need to make sure you _understand_ everything I'm saying."

Shima gulped, doing nothing to hide his excitement."Then I guess I'll be in your care, Yukio."  
  


* * *

  
  
Lewin and Bon arrived outside of his family's inn in Kyoto. Before they could make their stop to his home, they had to report to the Order about what happened in Hokkaido and helped out with some of the large exorcisms which took place there because of the Gurges. Also, curtesy of Mephisto, Bon was able to slip in an application to take the Tamer exam. He felt it was the right path to choose after gaining a Kukyo familiar.

All in all, the whole process took about a week and a half. Exorcists were still cleaning up the coal tars in Hokkaido and looking out for evolved demons, but no demons left Hokkaido which was the best result they could wish for. So finally, after two years of nonstop travel together, Lewin and Bon were taking a break. Though, honestly, Bon was more stressed than ever now that he was back home. He hoped Lewin could retain some amount of curtesy.

With a deep breath, he slid the door to the inn open and was greeted with a nostalgic sight. In the end, it was good to be home.

"Welc—Ryuji?! Is that you, Ryuji?" one of the workers who walked up to them shouted loudly.

That brought a whole swarm of people hanging around to look to the front door and greet him loudly.

"He's back!"

"Someone call the Mistress!"

"Everyone here sure adores you, Ryuji," Lewin commented from behind him while slinking himself inside. He was burrowed in his clothes because of the cold and quickly shut the door behind them.

"Shut up," he grumbled back, embarrassed by the scene. Everyone always made such a big deal about him returning him, how couldn't he be?

Soon his mother, Torako, appeared around the corner with a gaping mouth and tear-filled eyes which suddenly turned fierce."Why didn't you tell me you were coming home?!" she shouted at him."And you haven't talked to me at all since you left! What if you had died?! Just calling during holidays isn't enough!"

Bon sighed."I know. I'm sorry. I just get busy and forget to call back."

Torako didn't seem like she would let him off so easy, eyes narrowed on him, until she realized there was someone else with him."Oh, who might this be?" she asked politely, putting on her professional facade and stepping closer to him."I don't believe I've met you before. I'm Suguro's mother."

"Oh, his mom!" Lewin grinned at her and Bon just hoped he wouldn't say anything out of line."I'm Lewin Light, an Arch Knight working for the Vatican and also Ryuji's partner and boyfriend. We're looking to get married soon. Nice to meet you."

And there it was.

Bon looked to his mother and could already see the stress lines marring her features as she attempted to process his words. Honestly, Bon had never seen such a look on her face. Then again, he had never brought home a man and suddenly told her he wanted to get married.

Her mouth opened, closed, then opened again as her eyes went hard."Someone get your father, now!"

**: Please Wait a Moment :**

Bon and Lewin sat on one end of a low table in one of their larger meeting rooms on soft cushions with Bon's mom and dad, Tatsuma, across from them. They had both been waiting for his mom to fetch Tatsuma for a good ten minutes so this family meeting of theirs could finally start. Not that they've ever done something like this before.

So now that they were all together, an awkward silence persisted before Bon's dad finally spoke up.

"Ah, it's nice to meet you," he spoke to Lewin."I'm Bon's father, Tatsuma."

"Lewin Light, Arch Knight," he responded in turn."Ryuji's been working as my assistant for many years now."

"Oh, so you're the legendary Lightning! I've heard you're a genius!" Tatsuma spoke with glee."I was happy to hear someone like you recognized my sons talents!"

"Ryuji's helped me a lot throughout the years," Lewin responded with a small chuckle."He's always such a worrywart. It looks like I've grown reliant on him."

Tatsuma laughed in response."That's Ryuji for you! He's always haggling me as well! He certainly takes after his mother in that regard!"

Bon knew they would get along well. In fact, that was the one thing he predicted from this trip. And his mother being a lot more angrier than usual, of course.

"Enough with the idle chatter!" she shouted, stopping the two men."We have bigger things to talk about! After all these years, Ryuji's suddenly coming back here and tells me he's going to get married?! I just don't know what to do..."

"Isn't it fine?" his father responded, such a typical response out of him it almost made Bon mad."As long as he loves him and all. But last I remembered, isn't it impossible for two guys to get married in Japan?"

"That's why we'll do it at the Vatican," Lewin responded with excitement in his voice."Ryuji is still a Japanese citizen, so it wont be recognized here, but the Order will recognize it."

"At the Vatican?!" his mom questioned in horror.

"We can still have a ceremony here if you want, mom," Bon spoke to her, trying to ease her worries. But for the most part, he was happy at how well she was taking it

She grumbled slightly yet remained silent, seeming to be thinking everything over.

"We'll also be staying here for a couple weeks until I get my Tamer license, so we can talk it over further then. I mean, we don't even have rings yet."

"No rings?!" she shot up, head snapping to Lewin."We'll be leaving first thing tomorrow to get my son a proper ring, understood? I can't believe you haven't gotten him a ring yet!"

"Yes..." Lewin grinned sheepishly back at her, scratching a hand through his matted hair.

"You have to do things properly, okay?!"

"Of course! Ryuji only deserves the best."

"Well, aren't they getting along well," Tatsuma commented to Bon, watching the two talk back and forth.

"Surprisingly," Bon responded, honestly not really knowing what to say to his dad. Things were never not awkward between them.

"But I guess this means you wont be having any children," his dad continued."You certainly don't look like you'll adopt."

His mom, hearing Tatsuma's words, seemed to pause her excitement then with wide eyes."No children...No...grandchildren..." Her eyes widened further and she snapped up out of her seat.

"I wont accept this!" she shouted at Lewin."I wont allow my son to marry someone...so...so much older than him! And a man! And-And someone who _stinks_! I wont accept this marriage!"

She stomped out of the room, sliding the door closed harshly behind her with one last puff of anger. Everyone in the room was throughly shocked except for Tatsuma who took this time to chuckle cheerfully.

"Don't worry, she'll come back around," he said to them, tone relaxed."She'll probably be banging on your door in the morning ready to take Lightning out to go looking for wedding bands."

"I hope so," Bon grumbled back, knowing he should still talk to her later more privately about all this. Same with his father, probably.

"I can see how you take after her," Lewin chuckled.

"Anyways, you guys look tired, so go rest up. I'm sure everyone wants to talk to you, but I'll tell them to leave you two alone for awhile," his father said, standing up and stretching before moving for the door."It was nice meeting you, Lightning. Be sure to keep watching out for my son in the future."

"No problem," Lewin responded with a grin, waving at his dad as he left just them alone.

"Why did you have to be so abrupt about it," Bon asked with a sigh, finally releasing all the tension built up.

"It's much better than beating around the bush, right? This is our first time having time off together, it's best to enjoy it freely." Lewin leaned over to him, pecking him on the lips.

"Hey!" Bon snapped, hand instantly over his lips in a mixture of irritation and embarrassment.

"No work means it's time for Ryuji and I to get closer!" Lewin declared, placing a hand on his thigh and caressing it."Now, Ryuji...where's that kotatsu?"

Bon, who began getting himself worked up over nothing, sighed in exasperation. Lewin always knew how to keep him on his toes.

"It might still be in storage. I'll go look for it."

But there was nothing bad about that, was there?  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading hahaha  
> this was hard  
> im sad  
> here's my [twitter](https://twitter.com/KikitheOat)  
> here's a [map](https://twitter.com/Katlnngames/status/1322636714142179328) of the route the different characters took
> 
> I had fun doing a lot of research for this after obtaining the hard copies of the manga. There were somethings I didn't like and somethings I did. I hope you enjoyed reading this like I did writing it. Thank you for your time.

**Author's Note:**

> Machiavellian words will be explained in the beginning note in the next chapter. I hope you enjoy the story!
> 
> Demons (as filed in the manga)
> 
> File 5: Coal Tar  
> Low Level  
> Kin of Astaroth, King of Rot. Possesses fungi. Gathers around dark, gloomy and unclean people, places, and things. Coal Tars are the lowest level of demon to that exists, but when a lot group up, they can be a real problem!  
> Anime/Manga - first appear at the beginning of the series when Rin begins to see demons
> 
> File 52: Koks  
> Mid to High Level  
> Kin of Astaroth, King of Rot. This demon possesses fungi and is an amalgamation of Coal Tars. A Koks composed of even the smallest low-level Coal Tars can be a formidable opponent.  
> Manga - mentioned in chapter 73 when Rin and Shiemi clean out a coal tar infested house
> 
> File 54: Baba Yaga  
> Low to Mid Level  
> A crone witch who becomes possessed by a demon due to living in the mountains for too long. They come down to villages to cause trouble and cannibalize human populations.  
> Manga - Vol 17, Father Fujimoto is sent on a mission to exorcise a Baba Yaga, who turns out to be Shura


End file.
